Dear Neighbors,
Thank you for your calls and emails in the first two weeks of session. I’m very appreciative to represent an active and engaged community. Your ideas, questions, and opinions are invaluable for me in navigating things at the Capitol. Please keep it up!
Tax Relief
We’ve already passed a $22 million tax relief bill into law, and I’m continuing to look for ways we can ease the tax burden on Minnesotans. I recently co-authored a bill, HF 213, to phase out the tax on Social Security benefits. I’ve heard from numerous seniors in our area how detrimental this tax can be, especially for those on fixed incomes. We need to do what we can to help our ever-growing aging population in Minnesota.
Real ID
One of the questions I hear most pertains to our state’s lack of Real ID compliance. Congress passed Real ID in 2005 to make it more difficult for terrorists to obtain a fake ID. Most states are compliant with the law, but Minnesota is one of the few that is not. A Real ID-compliant license isn’t much different than your normal ID, but these changes need to be made soon or our cards won’t be valid to board planes.
Many fear that they cannot board an airplane right now with their current ID card. It’s important to know your current, valid ID will work until the deadline of 2018. Last year, the House passed a bill to make Minnesota compliant, but the measure was blocked by the Senate.
We’re working on becoming compliant as soon as possible so we can start issuing compliant licenses. The bill, HF3, is traveling through committees, and we should hear it on the floor very soon. Our goal in the House is to ensure Minnesotans can board an airplane without any difficulty. I hope to have this legislation passed and signed into law very soon. If we pass this bill into law, everyone will need a compliant license to board a plane. The way the bill is written, the state will pay for the new license for those who have to renew early.
Premium Relief Update
I wrote to you last week about House Republicans’ attempt to provide premium relief for those buying their health insurance on the individual market. After our attempt was blocked on a party-line vote, the bill has been making its way through the committee process. The Senate passed their version of the bill yesterday, and we should be discussing it on the House floor as early as next week. It’s an urgent matter, and Minnesotans need the relief and reforms in this bill. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on any progress this bill makes next week.
Please Contact Me
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me any time at rep.peggy.bennett@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-8216. I love to hear your thoughts and ideas!
Have a great weekend,
Peggy