Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Here is an update from the Capitol.
Tax Conformity
The House unveiled a comprehensive tax conformity plan this week that aims to simplify and reduce taxes for hardworking Minnesota taxpayers. With federal tax reform passed by Congress late last year, this gave our state a big opportunity to reform our tax code as well. Doing this now also means filers won’t face undue complications next year.
Overall, 2.1 million Minnesota filers will benefit from a tax cut next year if our plan becomes law. Highlights include:
- Helping middle-class Minnesotans keep more of what they earn by cutting the second tier income tax rate from 7.05% to 6.75% by tax year 2020. This would mark the first income tax rate reduction in Minnesota since 2000.
- Lowering taxes for people at all income levels by increasing the standard deduction from $13,000 to $14,000.
- Protecting families by preserving a state personal and dependent exemption of $4,150.
- Encouraging affordable homeownership by allowing a state-itemized deduction of up to $30,000 in property taxes.
- Supporting hometown businesses by reinvesting extra revenue from corporate tax changes into Section 179 conformity and overall rate reductions.
While federal conformity is much more complicated than in years past, our goal remains focused on returning more money to hardworking taxpayers, ensuring they can take full advantage of state and federal tax relief.
Education School Safety Bill Passes House
On Thursday, the House passed our supplemental education bill that puts student safety first. The bill includes House Republicans’ schools safety package that gives school districts the flexibility and resources they need to address student safety and mental health. This comprehensive approach allows for everything from building security upgrades to hiring more student counselors or school resource officers, and provides a number of important tools for school officials and educators.
Additionally, the legislation also included a provision I authored that prohibits the issuance or renewal of teacher/administrative licenses for those who commit certain felonies or gross misdemeanors involving a minor. While incidents of teacher misconduct are rare, investigations done by news reporters in the past year demonstrated that we needed to clarify and strengthen our laws.
Other highlights in the bill include creating a School Report Card that allows parents to easily access, understand and compare schools and districts to find a school that best fits the needs of their child; strengthening law to prevent school lunch shaming; increasing transparency to discern whether education dollars dedicated to special education, English-learner and low-income students are reaching the students intended; and ensuring students are exposed to a wide variety of post-secondary options including the military and the trades.
As a parent, former educator and legislator, it is an honor to work for Minnesota kids and champion policies that will make a real difference for our students and schools.
Cell Phone ecoATM Bill
Speaking on the House Floor Wednesday
This week, the House overwhelmingly passed my legislation that authorizes ecoATM kiosks in Minnesota, which pay cash for used cell phones and other electronic devices. These kiosks operate in almost every state in the nation, but stopped in Minnesota after we passed kill switch legislation on smart phones in 2014.
Policies in the bill ensure a number of protections, including safeguards to confirm phones being sold are not stolen. Kiosks will also be located in the physical store of their retail partners.
This bill will help make recycling cell phones and electronic devices easier for Minnesotans, and allow these ecoATM kiosks to once again operate in our state.
At the Capitol
With members of the Kenya National Assembly
Met with constituent Lyle Castona for Kwik Trip Day at the Capitol
With constituent Gordon Hoff who was at the Capitol for Aviation Day
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As always, if you have ideas about what you would like to see happen this session or need assistance on a matter of state government, I welcome you to contact me. Please don’t hesitate to call (651-296-1147), email (rep.kelly.fenton@house.mn) or stop by my office.
Sincerely,
Kelly
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