New LawsAfter a historic session in 2023, many new laws went into effect on July 1st and August 1st, 2023, and January 1st 2024. The nonpartisan office of House Public Information has a summary of the new laws here: Child Tax CreditOne of the proposals I championed last year was a nation-leading Child Tax Credit. Now, many Minnesota families will be able to save up to $1,750 for each dependent. I’m proud to say this program is projected to cut childhood poverty in Minnesota by ONE THIRD! You can claim the tax credit by filing a 2023 income tax return. The $1,750 credit is for each child 17 years old and younger, with no limit on the number of children. For all tax filers, this credit begins to phase out at an income level of $35,000 and fully phases out at a maximum of $90,750 for a family with four children.  Crime Down Across MN, New Gun LawsNew data shows that crime has dropped across Minnesota in every major category. As we move past a pandemic era spike, I will continue to support policy changes and funding that improve public safety, like last year when I voted for record funding aimed at ensuring the safety of Minnesotans. As a mom and a legislator, I’m thrilled to share that the legislature finally took action on gun violence prevention. Two new laws will implement improved criminal background checks and extreme risk protection orders to ensure that guns stay out of the hands of those who would cause harm. This session, I am co-authoring a safe storage proposal to lessen accidental gun deaths, especially knowing that gun deaths are now the number one cause of death to kids in the United States.  Legislative SurveyI’ve been able to meet or correspond with many of you individually over the last year. Another helpful tool to share your priorities is my legislative survey. If you haven’t had a chance to take the survey, you can do so here. We will be accepting responses until April 1! EV RebatesLast session we passed an Electric Vehicle Rebate Program allowing residents to receive a rebate of up to $2,500 for a new EV purchase and $600 for a used purchase. Electric cars, plug-ins or hybrids purchased or leased on or after May 25, 2023 are eligible. The application process went live last week and you can find more information at https://mn.gov/evrebates.  Constituent CornerThanks to those who made the trip to meet with me at the Capitol this week! We chatted about infertility and the importance of insurance coverage.  |