Dear Lakeville Neighbors,
I wanted to get in touch with you with an update from our Capitol.
Tax Relief
We need to continue to make Minnesota a tax-friendly state in order keep and attract families and jobs to our area. Last week in the Taxes Committee, we learned of a new study from the Center of the American Experiment detailing how Minnesotans routinely leave our state for lower-taxes places around the country. We must create an environment that invites Minnesotans to settle here for years to come.
The bill we passed in 2015 gave overdue tax relief by eliminating the tax on Social Security benefits, excluding military pay and benefits from state income tax, and giving indebted college graduates a tax credit. Despite the latest budget forecast which lowered the projected collection surplus, I remain optimistic we can provide some measure of tax relief this session.
Pro-Jobs Legislation
Last week, I introduced a bill, HF3693, to assist small businesses looking to develop in our area. Currently, Dakota is the only county in the state to require approval by the county before issuing certain building permits from cities. This unusual bureaucracy creates an added step for small businesses looking to build in Dakota County. We’re always looking to bring in local businesses and new jobs to our area, and creating a system with decreased bureaucratic procedures at lower cost is one way to accomplish that.
Additionally, the Legislature passed and the governor signed our bill to correct the business unemployment insurance trust fund. We provided a $250 million credit to local businesses while keeping this fund with appropriate reserves and above the required federal threshold. By allowing our small businesses a reduction in the premiums they’ve overpaid, we can create more and better jobs and continue to promote economic expansion in our state.
Congrats, Rachel Banham!
Congratulations to Lakeville native and Minnesota Golden Gopher Rachel Banham on an excellent career at the U! Rachel was recently named to the Associated Press All-America first team, and is one of five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award which is given to the top player in both men’s and women’s college basketball. Rachel’s had an incredible career, and our area is so proud of all she’s accomplished; nice job!
Taste of Lakeville
We’re quickly approaching one of the great events in our area: the Taste of Lakeville. This year’s event is Thursday, May 19 from 5-9 p.m. The Lakeville Rotary Club has done a fabulous job putting this community event on since 2003! If you need more information, you can give me a call or click here for tickets.
I hope you’ll continue to contact me with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. I appreciate learning about your viewpoint, and can’t wait to hear from you. Try calling me at (651) 296-6926, or you can email me at rep.jon.koznick@house.mn.
Have a great week,
Jon Koznick
State Representative, Lakeville, 58A