Wednesday, May 22, 2013
A column written by Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake). Dettmer represents a portion of Stillwater in House District 39A.
At 12 a.m. on Monday night, the Minnesota legislature adjourned for the year, closing the books on the 2013 session. While Minnesotans sent us to the Capitol to complete a balanced budget, a fair and balanced approach is not how I would describe the outcome. Like a bad student cramming before a huge exam, the House and Senate Democrats saved nearly every major budget bill for the very last minute. After the dust settles, all Minnesotans will end up paying over $2 billion more in taxes for the largest budget in state history. The new taxes will fall on top of the $36 billion the state has already collected in order to fund government functions over the next two years. Compared to other states with a similar population, Minnesota’s spending …
Friday, May 17, 2013
Rep. Kathy Lohmer (R-Stillwater) writes about taxes, bonding and unionizing childcare.
Editor’s Note: The following is a news release from Rep. Kathy Lohmer (R-Stillwater). Lohmer represents the Stillwater area in Minnesota House District 39B. _________________________________________ We’re in the final stretch of the legislative session. Last night, House and Senate DFL leaders and Governor Dayton announced an agreement on a tax plan that would impose higher income taxes, increase the cigarette tax by $1.60, and hike taxes on some business-to-business purchases. If this tax plan is passed and signed into law, Minnesota would have the fourth highest tax rate in the nation. Given our community’s proximity to Wisconsin, it seems like Governor Dayton and DFL legislative leaders are encouraging our citizens to move across the …
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Rep. Kathy Lohmer (R-Stillwater) weighs in on the proposed minimum wage increase in her column.
- OPINION
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Thursday, April 25
One of the proposals moving through the legislature right now is a bill that would impose an increase in the minimum wage from $6.15 per hour to $9.00 for small employers and to $10.55 per hour for large employers. The increase would come three stages with the new minimum wage level in place by August 2015. Every year after that, the minimum wage will be adjusted based on the annual increase in inflation. Some argue that an increase in the minimum wage is necessary because the current minimum wage is not livable for our state’s workforce. However, according to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, only 3.2% of all workers age 25 to 54 years old work minimum wage jobs. Well over half – 59.7% – of those making minimum wage are …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake) writes about some of the things he's working on in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Dettmer represents a part of Stillwater that is in District 39A.
- OPINION
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Tuesday, March 26
Editor’s Note: The following is a news release from Rep. Bob Dettmer’s (R-Forest Lake). Dettmer represents the Stillwater area in Minnesota House District 39A. As the legislature heads home for Easter/Passover break, here are some highlights from last week. This week, KSTP covered our Military Action Group meeting in which we discussed a huge effort to award some work on the new Vikings stadium to businesses owned by veterans. Similar to the way minority and women-owned businesses will be looked at to fulfill some contract work on the new project, veteran-owned businesses should also be a priority. Gov. Dayton provided Minnesota with his updated budget plans last week. This week, the House DFL proposed their plan. Details and highlights of…
Monday, March 25, 2013
The results of a recent survey suggest the Stillwater Area School Board should consider placing one levy question on the ballot this November that includes a renewal of the expiring levy and an increase to help fund the strategic plan.
A recent survey of district residents suggest there is a high level of support for Stillwater Area Public Schools, but passing a levy referendum this fall is “by no means a walk in the park.” Bill Morris of Decisions Resources shared that message with board members Thursday when he provided an overview of the results from a recently conducted survey of 400 district residents. The board should consider placing one levy question on the ballot this November that includes a renewal of the expiring levy and an increase to help fund the strategic plan, Morris said. He also suggested the board consider including funding to enhance safety in the schools, which can be rolled into one levy question. “Passing a levy is never easy,” Morris said. “It …
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Rep. Kathy Lohmer writes about Gov. Mark Dayton's revised budget, gun control and unionizing child care.
Editor’s Note: The following is a Legislative Update from Rep. Kathy Lohmer (R-Stillwater). Lohmer represents the Stillwater area in Minnesota House District 39B. _________________________________________ Last week, the House Democratic leadership put out their budget framework proposal. If you can believe it, it actually seeks to impose a higher tax on small businesses than Governor Dayton’s plan by creating a fifth tier income tax bracket. They claim that it would only be a temporary tax, but the history of so-called “temporary” taxes has proven that no such thing exists. In 1991, the legislature passed a “temporary” half-cent sales tax increase. It still exists today. As Minority Leader Kurt Daudt said, there is nothing more permanent …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake) talks about House File 957. Dettmer represents part of Stillwater in District 39A in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
- GOVERNMENT
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Tuesday, March 19
Do you know if your child’s school is by a former landfill? When parents send their children to school, they expect them to be safe. Children who attend schools near landfills, however, could face some scary hazards. Unstable ground due to uneven settling of wastes, methane gas seepage causing an explosion in an enclosed school building and groundwater contamination are just some of the risks. Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake) is confronting these hazards head on. He sponsors HF957, a bill that would bar school construction near former landfills and would require schools located near former landfills to notify parents of their proximity. -- Video produced by the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Service.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake) writes about some of the things he's working on in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Dettmer represents a part of Stillwater that is in District 39A.
Editor’s Note: The following is a news release from Rep. Bob Dettmer’s (R-Forest Lake). Dettmer represents the Stillwater area in Minnesota House District 39A. _________________________________________ Gov. Mark Dayton this week officially conceded a number of tax increases he was proposing after it became clear he lacked public and legislative support. Particularly, he backed down from expanding sales taxes to include services like haircuts and oil changes. The governor also eliminated from his plan a business-to-business sales tax which received resounding criticism. Dayton’s revised budget still includes a spending increase of $2.7 billion over 2012-13. He proposes raising taxes by $1.8 billion through taxes on small businesses (…
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Rep. Kathy Lohmer writes about Gov. Mark Dayton's revised budget, the health exchange, a business roundtable and the Lower St. Croix Valley Fire Department.
Editor’s Note: The following is a news release from Rep. Kathy Lohmer (R-Stillwater). Lohmer represents the Stillwater area in Minnesota House District 39B. _________________________________________ Last week, the House took up final passage of the government healthcare exchange. It came back to the House after the Senate had passed its own version and the proposal went to conference committee. If you can believe it, the bill that came back to the House was actually worse than what had passed the House initially. The most glaring difference was that the bill no longer contained the provision that prohibited abortion coverage in the government exchange even though the House had passed that amendment with a strong bipartisan vote. As I …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Former Stillwater area representative Matt Dean posted this Youtube video on March 10 titled "Goats React to Dayton Tax Increases." What do you think about the video? What are your thoughts on Dayton's tax plan?
Randy Marsh
10:02 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013
If you enjoy hypocrisy from someone who asks how high when asked to jump, Lohmer is certainly your gal, David. There's not a company in the world that would put this woman on its board of directors and yet here she is. more ›