Dear Friends,
State Fair season is here! That means cooler weather and a brand new school year is right around the corner. I hope you'll have a chance to get out to the Fair and enjoy the last few weeks of summer.
I wanted to update you on special session, and a rundown of last week's events around our community.
Special Session September 9th
Earlier this week, legislative leaders and Governor Dayton came to terms on an agreement to hold a special session September 9th to appropriate disaster relief funds to the 18 counties around Minnesota impacted by severe weather earlier this year.
Leaders from both parties were able to put politics aside, and agreed to the special session without any other conditions, even though there was a great deal of discussion about other issues that could have been addressed, primarily the repeal of the farm equipment repair sales tax that began July 1st.
I was disappointed that legislative leaders were unable to come to an agreement on repealing the farm equipment repair tax, or any of the other business-to-business taxes that have been the subject of criticism from both Democrats and Republicans alike this summer. Newspapers around the state have recognized the harmful nature of these taxes, with many calling for their repeal including the state’s two largest papers the Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press.
The impacts we're seeing this summer are one of the many reasons I voted NO on the tax bill last May. I knew it was a bad deal for Minnesota families who are paying more thanks to these misguided tax increases.
I'm hopeful that the legislature will explore repealing these taxes next session when we return in 2014. In the meantime, if you have suggestions, comments, or questions about the special session, or any other topic, please contact my office at rep.anna.wills@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-4306.
In the Community
On Thursday I had a great time visiting Colbalt Mortgage in Apple Valley for the Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce "Chamber Business After Hours" event. It was a great opportunity to hear from local businesses about their thoughts and concerns regarding the past legislative session, as well as the one coming up in 2014.
After the Chamber event, I went over to Rosemount for the Rosemount Area Arts Council's Celebration. The Rosemount Area Arts Council (RAAC) was celebrating their sixth anniversary as an organization and their receipt of the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council's 2013 Arts Achievement Award for RAAC's efforts to bring the community together through the arts since their humble beginnings six years ago.
The award is a beautiful plaque and $5,000 to be used at RAAC's discretion. This award is funded by the State Arts board that gets their part of their funding from the constitutionally dedicated Legacy Funds appropriated by the legislature each biennium. As a member of the Legacy Committee, I always enjoy seeing first-hand how the funds are being used to promote the arts in our own community. To learn more about RAAC and all they do for the community of Rosemount, visit: http://www.rosemountaac.org/
Earlier this month I also was able to attend the Rosemount Research and Outreach Center’s Advisory Committee research tour. I was joined by District 57 Senator Greg Clausen, Dakota County Commissioners Nancy Schouweiler and Mike Slavik, and a number of University of Minnesota officials for a tour of three destination research sites at UMore park, as well as the unveiling of the design for the new CFANS Discovery Gardens which is coming to Rosemount in 2014. It was a fascinating look behind the scenes at the research work done by the University of Minnesota, the DNR, and organizations here in our local community. Their work helps fuel innovation and learning on issues like crop disease prevention, pest control, and more.
For more information on UMore Park and the work that is done there, please visit http://rroc.cfans.umn.edu/ or contact Dawn Seibert with the Rosemount Research and Outreach Center at 651-423-2588 or by emailing seibe037@umn.edu.
Have a great weekend,
Anna Wills
State Representative, District 57B