Baseball, New Laws, Property Tax Refunds, and more

Dear Granite City Neighbors,

The only thing hotter than the heat is the St. Cloud Rox! Having won 7 out of their last 9 games, the Rox are only one game behind the Willmar Stingers for first place in the Great Plains West division.

I hope you and your family are also finding fun ways to enjoy summer! Here’s your report from the Capitol and our community:

New Month, New Laws

The majority of our new laws have now taken effect, having been implemented on either July 1 or August 1. This includes our state budget for the next two years, which was our main focus this year, but it also includes numerous new policies and investments. 

The one making the most headlines recently has been the legalization of adult-use cannabis. I want to thank everyone that took the time to reach out and discuss this issue with me, whether that was at the “Be Heard on Cannabis” event I hosted in the district, a conversation at the doors, or through the numerous emails and calls I received on this issue. It was important that we did this in a smart, responsible way, and we met that standard with our new law. 

Another new law saw $173 million in new state funding go out to Minnesota’s nursing homes, including some in St. Cloud! Our nursing homes have been hit hard the last few years, and I was proud to vote for investments that will meet this great need. This record amount of funding builds on our efforts to support our most vulnerable Minnesotans and the workers who care for them.

$267,136 went to Talahi Nursing and Rehab Center, and $461,937 went to St. Benedict's Senior Community. The same amount will go to these facilities again next year. 

Other new laws include provisions to prevent catalytic converter thefts, policy changes to make our schools safer, updates that bring transparency to our elections, and a bill I authored to implement recommendations from Minnesota’s Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council, protecting our workers. 

You can read more about the laws implemented this week here. 

Partnering with District 742 to Support Students

My daughter, Lily, and I accepted an invitation from Superintendent Laurie Putnam to attend the St. Cloud School District 742 Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, August 2. I appreciated the opportunity to get an update on what the school board is working on in preparation of the 2023-2024 school year, and obtain feedback on legislation regarding charter schools.

I’m proud to partner with District 742 to ensure Lily, Polly, and their classmates get the world class education they deserve. This session, I helped secure over $24 million for St. Cloud’s schools over the next two years!

Door-to-door Constituent Outreach

This week, I began making my first rounds of door-to-door constituent outreach. I’m grateful for the opportunity to listen to your feedback and answer your questions regarding all we accomplished during the 2023 legislative session. One-on-one conversations are the most effective way to ensure that my work at the Capitol is rooted directly in your needs and priorities.

Between now and the start of session on Feb. 12, I am going to do my best to make it to as many doors and have as many conversations as possible. I hope to meet with you at your door soon!

Reminder – Property Tax Refund Deadline Aug. 15

I’ve heard countless stories from folks who are struggling with increasing property taxes in recent years. To address this problem, I supported using some of our budget surplus to offer property tax cuts at the state level and put money back in the pockets of Minnesotans, including funding increases for the Homestead Credit Refund and Renter’s Property Tax Refund of 20.5%.

In some cases, you must file a Form M1PR by August 15 to qualify. Each year, many homeowners and renters lose out on these refunds only because they forgot to file. The Minnesota Department of Revenue has more details, including eligibility and instructions.

Stay in Touch

Please continue to stay in touch! I always appreciate reading all the responses to this newsletter, and welcome all of your questions and feedback. Take care, stay cool, and I hope to see you out and about in our community!

Go Rox!!!

Sincerely,

Dan