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At the beginning of each legislative session, I arrive in St. Paul with a sense of optimism and determination. This year was no different; I’m optimistic that this session will be better than the last and determined that we will accomplish good things for Minnesota.
Job creation is my top priority and this legislative year is typically the time we vote on a bonding bill to repair infrastructure including bridges, wastewater systems, higher education buildings and make other capital improvements. Governor Dayton has proposed a $775 million bonding bill to take advantage of low interest rates and provide a boost to our state economy by providing thousands of much needed jobs. Some studies say thousands of private sector jobs could be created with passage of this bill.
The House and Senate DFL, along with Governor Dayton, have put forward a comprehensive Jobs Plan. This broad and strategic proposal will help businesses grow and retain good jobs in Minnesota by focusing on things that work: providing small businesses with new incentives to create jobs, improve workforce development and training for higher paying jobs and investing in infrastructure.
While job creation is a key part of our agenda this session, consequences from elimination of The Market Value Homestead Credit in the 2011 legislative special session also require our attention. This scheme resulted in increased property taxes for thousands of Minnesotans. This damaging measure has been especially devastating for rural Minnesota communities. Homeowners, businesses and farmers are seeing dramatically higher property taxes. I opposed the elimination of the MVHC and will work diligently this session to change the law.
Another terrible result of the 2011 special session agreement was borrowing millions from our school kids to balance the budget instead of creating a more fair tax system. I have never agreed with this tactic and last year was no exception. The agreement provided no plan to pay back schools and this is wrong.
The bottom line is that Minnesota should create and implement a better tax system. Minnesotans expect fair taxation and not a system that penalizes the middle class. Legislators should direct their energy to constructing a less regressive tax system.
As this legislative session unfolds in the next several weeks, I look forward to focusing on what matters most to Minnesotans: creating good paying jobs and positioning Minnesota for economic recovery.
At the beginning of each legislative session, I arrive in St. Paul with a sense of optimism and determination. This year was no different; I’m optimistic that this session will be better than the last and determined that we will accomplish good things for Minnesota.
Job creation is my top priority and this legislative year is typically the time we vote on a bonding bill to repair infrastructure including bridges, wastewater systems, higher education buildings and make other capital improvements. Governor Dayton has proposed a $775 million bonding bill to take advantage of low interest rates and provide a boost to our state economy by providing thousands of much needed jobs. Some studies say thousands of private sector jobs could be created with passage of this bill.
The House and Senate DFL, along with Governor Dayton, have put forward a comprehensive Jobs Plan. This broad and strategic proposal will help businesses grow and retain good jobs in Minnesota by focusing on things that work: providing small businesses with new incentives to create jobs, improve workforce development and training for higher paying jobs and investing in infrastructure.
While job creation is a key part of our agenda this session, consequences from elimination of The Market Value Homestead Credit in the 2011 legislative special session also require our attention. This scheme resulted in increased property taxes for thousands of Minnesotans. This damaging measure has been especially devastating for rural Minnesota communities. Homeowners, businesses and farmers are seeing dramatically higher property taxes. I opposed the elimination of the MVHC and will work diligently this session to change the law.
Another terrible result of the 2011 special session agreement was borrowing millions from our school kids to balance the budget instead of creating a more fair tax system. I have never agreed with this tactic and last year was no exception. The agreement provided no plan to pay back schools and this is wrong.
The bottom line is that Minnesota should create and implement a better tax system. Minnesotans expect fair taxation and not a system that penalizes the middle class. Legislators should direct their energy to constructing a less regressive tax system.
As this legislative session unfolds in the next several weeks, I look forward to focusing on what matters most to Minnesotans: creating good paying jobs and positioning Minnesota for economic recovery.
