Dear Neighbors,
I want to begin by offering my sincere condolences to our entire Duluth community following the tragic events this week in the East Hillside neighborhood. The heartbreak and trauma caused by this devastating event are unimaginable, and I give my deepest condolences to all of those impacted. I also encourage everyone to be respectful of the privacy of the families who lost loved ones. Above all, I hope for healing for the first responders who arrived on the scene, other families in the neighborhood, and the loved ones of those we lost.
Earth Day
It’s Earth Day! In the Minnesota House, DFLers are committed to ensuring a cleaner, greener future for the next generation. Next week, we will begin considering a variety of environment and climate-related items on the House Floor. Our Climate and Energy package invests a total of $175 million toward initiatives to address the climate crisis and lower energy costs while creating jobs and economic growth. Investments include home weatherization assistance, Solar for Schools grants and other funding to help local governments equip buildings with solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations, funding for electric public transit and school buses, and other initiatives to support renewable energy integration. You can read more about the proposal here.
Access to Affordable, Accessible Housing
All Minnesotans deserve a place to call home, but our state is facing a significant housing crisis that only worsened during the pandemic. Individuals and families are struggling with rising housing costs and a shortage of homes and places to rent. House DFLers are focused on helping Minnesotans avoid housing insecurity with a Housing Finance bill that delivers funds for emergency homeless shelters and long-term housing infrastructure. Our Tax legislation expands renter and homeowner tax credits and refunds – representing the largest property tax cut in 20 years – along with a three-year pilot program establishing a first-generation homebuyer down payment assistance program. Additionally, our Veterans budget bill will continue our progress in ending veteran homelessness, with strong investments in both short-term and long-term housing solutions.
A safe, stable, and secure place to call home is critical for Minnesotans’ health and economic security, and I’m proud to support these important investments.
Investing in Our Environment and Natural Resources
Since 1991, the state’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund – which receives proceeds from the Minnesota State Lottery – has provided approximately $700 million to more than 1,700 projects. Yesterday, the House approved the 2022 version of the funding package investing in 74 projects to protect, preserve, and enhance Minnesota’s environment and natural resources.
Many of the projects will create opportunities for Minnesotans to enjoy the great outdoors and to learn more about our environment. The legislation funds land purchases for parks, trails, and natural areas, environmental education, restoration of forests, savannas, watersheds, habitats, and critical research and data collection. Notably, the bill invests funding to create a new Center for Prion Research and Outreach at the University of Minnesota to study chronic wasting disease and similar illnesses.
The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources evaluates project proposals annually. A list of all 74 projects in the bill and how much funding each one will receive is available here.
Tax Expenditure Review Commission
The 2021 legislature established a new Tax Expenditure Review Commission. Minnesota’s tax law has over 300 expenditures which include exclusions, deductions, exemptions, credits, preferential rates, and deferrals. Many of these have important purposes, but as the tax code has evolved, many expenditures on the books haven’t been reviewed in many years to evaluate if they’re truly effective.
The commission’s charge is to review Minnesota's tax expenditures and evaluate their effectiveness and fiscal impact. On Tuesday, I chaired the first hearing of the commission which you can watch here.
Please continue to stay in touch with your viewpoints, ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. Thank you for the honor of working as your public servant.
Sincerely,
Jen Schultz
State Representative