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Jim Davnie

May 9, 2014

Tax conferees agree on $103M more in cuts

A final framework deal is in place for the second major tax-cut bill this session, signaling a resolution to one of the key end-of-session bills of 2014.

Apr 9, 2014

The Capitol Note: House passes anti-bullying measure, on to Dayton

A final framework deal is in place for the second major tax-cut bill this session, signaling a resolution to one of the key end-of-session bills of 2014. The legislation will cost an estimated $103 million in revenue during the current biennium and $118 million in the 2016-17 budget. The 2014-15 cut is slightly less than ...

Jan 24, 2014

Prefiled House bills take up drones, school ‘smut’

The first 279 House bills of the 2014 legislative session are already on record, thanks to a pre-filing deadline earlier this month. Many of those bills find legislators eager to peel back last year’s new business taxes, while another stack bears witness to members’ best efforts to push pet capital investment projects to the front of the line.

May 29, 2013

2013 session leaves unfinished business

Whether the 2013 legislative session in Minnesota was a successful one depends on which Democrat you ask. While many long-sought DFL priorities were achieved at the end of the five-month session, including gay marriage and increased spending on education, a handful of high-priority issues were ultimately shelved in 2013 in the hustle and bustle of crafting a $38 billion budget.

May 6, 2013

House passes anti-bullying bill

The House has passed anti-bullying legislation known as the Safe and Supportive Schools Act on a party-line 72-57 vote. The bill would require schools to have written policies in place that prohibit bullying.

Apr 22, 2013

Anti-bullying proposal revised to answer free speech concerns; cost to districts still an issue

On April 4, Sen. Julianne Ortman sent a letter to Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson asking the state's top lawyer to review the constitutionality of legislation designed to prevent bullying in schools. It was signed by every member of the Senate GOP caucus.

Apr 18, 2013

Fiscal note: bullying legislation will cost school districts $26 million annually

Legislation that would bolster Minnesota's anti-bullying statute would cost school districts roughly $26 million annually, according to a fiscal note released Wednesday by the Office of Minnesota Management and Budget. It found that the bullying bill, formally known as the "Safe & Supportive Schools Act," will cost school districts, on average, $30.80 per pupil to implement.

Apr 17, 2013

Legislation raising $2.6 billion in revenues clears House Taxes Committee

The omnibus tax bill advanced out of the House Taxes Committee without significant changes on Wednesday evening. The proposal, which includes $2.6 billion in additional taxes, passed on a party-line 17-11 vote.

Apr 17, 2013

House tax bill tab: $2.6 billion

In announcing their omnibus tax proposal this week, House Democrats sounded like they were back on the campaign trail. The bill is in one sense an expensive I.O.U. to last fall’s voters.

Mar 25, 2013

Bullying bill would cost state $1 million annually

Legislation designed to prevent bullying in schools will cost the state just over $1 million per year, according to a fiscal note drafted by the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget.

Mar 20, 2013

City lobbies agree on LGA approach

For the past decade, Capitol debates over local government aid (LGA) to cities have amounted to a long and bloody war of attrition. But this year Minnesota’s city lobbying associations have reached an accord on LGA that’s being hailed as a rare rapprochement on an issue typically dominated by thorny regional divides.

Feb 15, 2013

State’s unclaimed property cache grows

The state of Minnesota has a potential pool of revenue at its disposal that many lawmakers may not know about. Over the last decade, the value of assets held by the state as unclaimed personal property has more than tripled.

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