Dear Neighbor,
It was an eventful week at the legislature as our work was condensed into three days due to no official House business taking place on Monday in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. While it was a short week, there were still a number of important committee hearings and events that took place.
My First Bill: Giving Our Retired Veterans a Tax Break
On Thursday, I was honored to have my first bill officially introduced in the House. HF 299 would exclude retired members of the military from paying state income taxes. This legislation will be a great help to military veterans who would like to retire and begin a second career in Minnesota. States that have exempted retired military personnel from income taxes tend to see a large return on their investment. Their retired military residents have begun lucrative second careers; creating businesses and bringing new revenue and jobs into the state that would have otherwise not existed. Iowa enacted similar legislation last January and I believe that it’s time Minnesota does the same.
Fighting Aquatic Invasive Species
The Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) issue and how we attempt to neutralize it is something that is of great importance to our part of the state. Our district’s lakes are our greatest economic assets as they drive our tourism and fishing industries. Preserving them for future generations is of the highest priority. In an effort to address the AIS problem and with the best of intentions, a previous legislature passed a new requirement for anyone transporting watercrafts with a trailer to pass an online Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) certification course and receive a sticker from the DNR that would be placed on the trailer as proof of having completed the course. This requirement is set to go into effect July 1st.
As you can probably guess, there are already problems with the implementation of this system, not to mention the logistical nightmare that is bound to occur for our area’s resorts having to inform out-of-state patrons of their need to pay for and complete an online course before they are allowed to transport their boat to Minnesota. Many Republican legislators including myself are working on a bill that would repeal this law and begin working on other ways we can more effectively address the problems that AIS poses to our state’s lakes, rivers, and streams. I am also in communication with local lake associations and the DNR to find ways we can focus our resources on direct enforcement in dealing with AIS.
2015 March for Life
Thank you to those who came to the Capitol Thursday to participate in this year’s March for Life. It is inspiring to see citizens from all over the state congregate on the Capitol steps to peacefully demonstrate against our nation’s abortion laws. As a pro-life legislator, I am committed to continuing our fight in protecting our most vulnerable.
Local Events and Recognition
This past fall, the Brainerd Public School District received six National Blue Ribbon awards. Of the 951 Minnesota elementary schools, only eight were chosen as Blue Ribbon schools and six of those eight are in the Brainerd School District. Congratulations to teachers, staff, and students, that’s awesome! I was honored to attend an awards ceremony on Friday recognizing the Brainerd School District’s hard work and dedication to helping our students gain a world class education. The schools in our area are a model to the rest of the state on excellence in education.
On Saturday, the annual Brainerd Jaycees Fishing Extravaganza is set to take place on Gull Lake. I would encourage you to attend. The Jaycees are a great group that do a lot of good work within our community. I hope to see you out on the lake this Saturday enjoying some ice fishing for a good cause.
Staying Connected
“Liking” my Facebook page and “following” my Twitter account are both great ways to stay connected with what is going on here in St. Paul.
If you are planning on being in St. Paul this session, please feel free to contact my office by phone at 651-296-4929 or via email at rep.josh.heintzeman@house.mn to set up an appointment. It would be an honor to speak with you and discuss ways we can make Minnesota better.
Sincerely,
Josh