Greetings from the Floor,
The House passed its first bill of the session off the floor on Monday. HF51 creates an affidavit that a homeowner may record with the county to renounce restrictive covenants based on race. A restrictive covenant is a clause in a deed or lease to real property that limits what the owner of the property may do with it. In the past, these restrictive covenants were used to prevent minorities from moving into residential neighborhoods. Although the Supreme Court ruled the restrictive covenants to be unenforceable in 1948, they remain on property abstracts.
I presented my first bill of the session in the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Division on Tuesday. HF298 would exempt parents from background checks who are guardians for their adult children with developmental disabilities. The concept for the bill was brought to me by a constituent with two adult children with developmental disabilities. The bill did not have any opposition, and was laid over for possible inclusion in the division’s omnibus policy bill.
I introduced two bills last week, HF578 and HF587. HF578 would expand the income limits for families to take advantage of the Minnesota Education Credit. This is a tax credit that families can use to pay up to 75% of some education costs for K-12 students. These costs may include fees for after school activities, supplies, computers or software. The income limit changes would move from $33,500, regardless of family size, to the limits for free and reduced-lunch. This would start at $38,443 for a two parent household with one child and go up to $70,411 for five children.
HF587 would allow the two medical cannabis companies that operate in Minnesota the ability to deduct business expenses from state taxes. Right now, these businesses pay effective tax rates close to 70%. I have heard from constituents who are eligible for the medical cannabis program that they cannot afford the medicine as the costs are too high. This is one way to reduce costs, and get people the therapy that will help with their conditions. It was also included in the vetoed Tax Bill of 2018.
The Greater Minnesota Economic Development Division heard presentations from Chair Pelowski and Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Joe Kelly about the state’s Disaster Assistance Contingency Account this week. The account was created in 2015 to allow the governor to declare emergencies and direct resources to aid Minnesotans while the Legislature is not in session. Previously, the governor had to call a Special Session so the Legislature could appropriate money for emergency responses. The contingency account saves time in the state’s response to emergencies, and money by not having to call Special Sessions.
Thank You for the Opportunity to Serve,
Ben