Dear Neighbor,
It has been another busy week at the Capitol. But, before I get to some of those highlights, I want to let folks know I will be co-hosting a series of town hall meetings with Sen. Torrey Westrom on Saturday, March 24. Hope you can join us and here is the itinerary:
Saturday, March 24 town hall schedule
- 10-10:45 a.m.: Starbuck Events Center (307 E. 5th St.) Note: Rep. Jeff Backer also is scheduled to appear at this meeting.
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.: Belgrade Nursing Home (103 School St.)
- 1:30-2:15 p.m.: Sauk Centre Lynx National Golf Course (40204 Primrose Lane)
- 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Melrose Cornerstone Restaurant and Buffet (223 Kraft Drive SE)
The governor’s proposal to implement a new nitrogen rule by executive order made news around the state last week. This week, it was the subject of the ag policy committee I chair. We all want clean water and a main concern in the ag community centers on how fertilizer application would be impacted. There also is concern among legislators that a rule such as this should be subject to legislative oversight. Through the committee process, we are working to get a better understanding for the governor’s order and also get a handle on the time line. Bills have been introduced to delay implementation and/or to require legislative approval.
Monday was Veterans Day on the Hill and it was good to see so many veterans and their families at the Capitol to advocate for legislation to help those who have served. The Legislature really has done well to support veterans in recent years. Just a couple of our major accomplishments include excluding all military retirement pay from state income tax and increasing funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs and state veterans homes. A number of bills to further assist veterans received hearings on Monday. One proposal would expand the property tax exclusion for surviving spouses of disabled veterans.
The Legislature continues working to reel in the costs of health insurance and this week the House unveiled a bill that would reduce the MNsure tax from 3.5 percent to 2 percent. Reports indicate this reduction would save Minnesotans $30 million. The bill also eliminates active purchasers to increase options on the MNsure exchange and seeks a waiver allowing those receiving tax credits to purchase insurance outside the MNsure exchange. This isn’t a silver bullet, but everything we can do to help on this issue is worth considering.
Have a good weekend and I will be back with more news soon.
Sincerely,
Paul