Dear Neighbors,
There are just days left in the 2018 legislative session and I wanted to take a moment to give you a brief update on what is happening in St. Paul.
On Thursday, the House approved legislation that would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall letting voters decide if taxes solely collected from the sales of auto parts and vehicle repairs should be used to repair our roads and bridges.
The revenue from the sales tax on auto parts is estimated at $250-$260 million per year.
This is a commonsense approach to addressing some of our transportation infrastructure shortfalls and I am hopeful that we can get this passed in the Senate and onto the ballot this fall for you, the voters, to decide if we should add this to the state constitution.
Additionally, we passed legislation this week that extends a temporary moratorium until April 30, 2019, on MnDOT’s authority to issue or require permits to mow and hay in ditches.
We also learned that Governor Dayton issued an executive order this week waiving the hours of service requirements for carriers and drivers of commercial motor vehicles obtaining and delivering anhydrous ammonia or other fertilizers.
The late winter snowfall and short window of time for planting preparation has caused a spike in fertilizer demand and a bottleneck in the supply chain, particularly in the northwest part of the state.
Finally, my bill that designates July 16 as Atomic Veterans Day in honor of veterans who were exposed to radiation as a result of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as those that may have been exposed to radiation due to their close proximity to other weapons tests or those serving on nuclear powered submarines was signed into law by Governor Dayton this week. I appreciate his committment to this important issue.
Former State Representative Steve Wenzel visited this week!
Local pastor, Reverend Kari Williamson who was the guest Chaplain in the House on Monday
Former State Representative Bruce Nelsen and his wife, Bev visited the Capitol this week!
Karl Nelsen, his wife Nancy, daughters Sammi, Abby, and son Andrew? were in St. Paul this week
That’s all for this week, I will have more information on end-of-session negotiations after we adjourn on Sunday.
Staying in Touch
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If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-4293, or rep.john.poston@house.mn.
Sincerely,
John