Greetings,
I spent a lot of time in meetings this week as we prepare for the 2018 legislative session that is set to begin on Tuesday. As is always the case, I am committed to ensuring that your values and priorities are well represented in St. Paul.
One of the meetings I attended was a gathering of local Future Farmers of America (FFA) students at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. It is always such a joy to meet with these future leaders to discuss their hopes and dreams for the future. It’s safe to say, the future of our state is in good hands!
Another meeting I attended this week was a joint hearing of the House Education Finance Committee and Property Tax and Local Government Finance Division. At the meeting we discussed school related tax credits and equalization aid payments, new school building bond agricultural credit referendums, market value and adjusted net tax capacity, and agricultural land valuation process.
Until last year, farmers were often paying ten times more in property taxes than folks in town following the passage of a school referendum. Thanks to a provision in last year’s tax bill, the disproportionate share of school district debt service paid by farmers was addressed by providing a property tax credit equal to 40 percent of the school debt tax rate on all agricultural land not including the house, garage, and surrounding one acre of the property.
I’m hoping that last year’s legislation was just the beginning and that we can continue to reduce the burden on our farmers as it relates to these school referendums. 1 acre and their home is the end goal and I am optimistic about the progress we made last year.
Staying in Touch
As I stated at the beginning of this newsletter, the 2018 legislative session is set to begin on Tuesday. I once again look forward to keeping you up-to-date on what’s happening here at the capitol throughout the entire session. Keep your eyes open for a newsletter next week detailing some of the things I’m hoping we work on this year. Until then, I hope you have a great weekend!
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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