Legislative Update Save Your Back-To-School Receipts!With back-to-school coming up quickly, I want to remind you to save your receipts to claim K-12 tax benefits when filing your taxes next year! Due to changes made during the legislative session, over 31,000 more Minnesota families will be able to claim the credit this year. Two tax benefits can help families pay expenses related to their child’s education: the refundable K-12 Education Credit and the K-12 Education Subtraction. Last year, more than 17,000 families received the K-12 Education Credit for an average credit of $280. Over 134,000 families received the K-12 Education Subtraction for an average subtraction of $1,266. These programs reduce the tax parents pay and could deliver a larger refund when filing a Minnesota income tax return. To qualify, the purchases must be for educational services or required materials. The child must be attending kindergarten through 12th grade at a public, private, or qualified home school and meet other qualifications. Most expenses for educational instruction or materials qualify, including: - Paper
- Pens and notebooks
- Textbooks
- Rental or purchases of educational equipment such as musical instruments
- Computer hardware (hotspots, modems, and routers) and educational software (up to $200 for the subtraction and $200 for the credit) *
- After-school tutoring and educational summer camps taught by a qualified instructor
New Laws This MonthLast session, the legislature passed a huge number of new laws that have gone into effect this summer. Below are several of the more prominent ones that began August 1, with information from nonpartisan House researchers. You can find a more comprehensive list of new laws that went into effect this month here. - Adult-use cannabis legalized, and prior low-level cannabis convictions expunged. Adults aged 21 or older can possess or publicly transport 2 ounces of adult-use cannabis flower, and up to 8 grams of cannabis concentrates. Adults can also possess up to 2 pounds of adult-use cannabis flower in their home. Penalties are established for violating possession limits, making illegal cannabis sales, selling to a minor, and exceeding personal cultivation limits. Criminal records of Minnesotans with petty misdemeanor and misdemeanor cannabis convictions will begin to be expunged. Although the records are not destroyed, they are removed from public view and will not appear in criminal background checks.
- Statement of faith requirement removed from PSEO. Higher education institutions participating in the postsecondary enrollment option program (PSEO) will no longer be allowed to require a faith statement from applicants for admission. This provision, which we fought against, is already in litigation. While this law takes effect August 1, a judge has already ordered state officials to not enforce it as this lawsuit unfolds.
- Universal Background Checks. Private transfers of pistols and semiautomatic military-style assault weapons without a firearms eligibility background check will be prohibited. A gun purchaser will be required to apply for a permit to carry first. Private transfers must complete a record of transfer which includes detailed information about the weapon and individuals involved.
- Education Policy Changes. There were a number of changes in the Education bill that take effect next month, including:
- Tier 1, 2, and 3 teachers of world languages and culture, performing arts, and visual arts will be exempt from the requirement to hold a bachelor’s degree.
- Indigenous Peoples Day will replace Columbus Day on a list of holidays that a school district may conduct school, and at least one hour of the school program that day must be devoted to observance of the day.
- Increased penalties for catalytic converter thefts. The new law prohibits the possession of a detached catalytic converter with a few narrow exceptions and provides that individuals found with illegally acquired detached catalytic converters could be charged with up to a felony.
- The Veterans Restorative Justice Act. This policy increases access to programs and treatment for veterans with a service-related condition that led or contributed to a conviction for a criminal offense. It helps create post-plea sentencing options to avoid jail time while providing eligible veterans the resources and assistance they need to successfully reintegrate into society.
Thank you to the McLeod County Board for having me! I had a great time talking to Commissioners Nagel, Luthens, Wright, Schmalz, and Krueger.  |