Legislative Update - District 64 Town Hall on August 8th

Dear Neighbors, 

I hope you’re staying cool, and having a fun and safe summer. I’m reaching out today to let you know about an upcoming Town Hall I’m hosting with my District 64 colleagues, and to provide an update on some important information and the things I’ve been up to during the legislative interim.

Mark your calendars for next week, Tuesday, August 8 at 7pm, when Sen. Murphy, Rep. Pinto and I will be holding a Town Hall at the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. We passed a historic amount of accomplishments at the Minnesota Legislature this year, and we’re looking forward to sharing them with you and answering your questions! Please RSVP here.

All are welcome, and I hope to see you there! You can find more information on our Facebook event page.

One thing I know we’ll be covering are some of the new laws that have recently gone into effect. Most of our new laws were enacted on either July or August 1, including our new state budget for the next two years, which was the focus of our work at that State Capitol this year, along with plenty of new policies and investments that make our community and state a better place to live. 

You can find a summary of some of the high profile new laws below, based on their enactment date:

• New Laws Implemented on July 1
• New Laws Implemented on August 1

A White House Visit on Child Care & Early Learning

Last month, I joined several legislative colleagues on a trip to D.C. to support state actions to make early care and learning more affordable for working families, increase provider supply, and improve job quality for those performing this critical work.

Minnesota is leading the nation in passing legislation that makes it easier to raise a family, and affordable, accessible, and quality child care is a huge part of that success. It was an honor to join my colleagues at the White House to highlight Minnesota’s accomplishments in child care, learn from other states, and become better partners with the Biden Administration on this issue.

Filing Your Property Tax Refund by August 15

A reminder that many taxpayers file Form M1PR when they submit their income tax return (Form M1) by the April 15 income tax filing deadline, but Form M1PR is not due until August 15.

If you have not filed 2022 Form M1PR yet: Review the 2022 Form M1PR instructions here to see if you qualify for these refunds. If you qualify, complete the 2022 Form M1PR. You should file, postmark, or drop off the form by August 15, 2023.

If you filed a 2022 Form M1PR before June 14, 2023: Whether you need to take any action depends on how you filed your return.

Property taxes have been rising for many households in recent years. Because of this, we prioritized using some of the state’s surplus to offer property tax cuts at the state level and put money back in the pockets of Minnesotans.

Here are some of the highlights:

• We adjusted the special property tax refund so that if your property taxes increased by more than 6% from 2022 to 2023, you’ll qualify for a refund of up to $2,500, regardless of your income level.
• We increased the Homestead Credit Refund and Renter’s Property Tax Refund by 20.572%.
• We permitted homeowners who have an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) to qualify for homestead status and claim the Homestead Credit Refund.
• We expanded the eligibility for the Senior Citizens Property Tax Deferral program so more seniors can age in their homes.

You can learn about these changes and more at the Department of Revenue’s website. 

Honoring Suni Lee

In the City of St. Paul, there has never been a statue dedicated to a female athlete. It is fitting that Olympian Suni Lee is the first. I was thankful to spend a morning this week at this surprise unveiling and dedication of a bronze bust designed by local Hmong artist Seexeng Lee. Suni’s accomplishments embodies all that is possible. This piece of art will serve as a symbol of hope for all.

Stay In Touch

Regardless of whether you’re able to join us for the Town Hall next week, please feel free to reach out during this legislative interim with any questions or comments you may have. You can contact me and my office at rep.kaohly.her@house.mn.gov or 651-296-8799. Also feel free to follow along on my official Facebook page.

Thank you again for the incredible honor of representing our community in the Minnesota House, and thank you for all of your support as we delivered for Minnesotans this year. 

Sincerely,  

Kaohly Vang Her

State Representative