Greetings!
It has been an honor to serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives, as your Representative, from District 13B. I’m asking for your support in my re-election efforts to return to St. Paul, so I can keep working on your behalf.
Working together, we’ve been able to accomplish some remarkable things for Minnesotans. I’m proud to have been a part of the team that has delivered for Minnesota. Here’s a short list of some of the accomplishments in the 2017-2018 legislative sessions:
- The 2018 Pension Reform and Stabilization bill, which I chief authored, was unanimously passed in the House and Senate and signed into law by Gov. Dayton. This bill helps assure pensions will be stable and provides for needed reforms. Minnesota’s credit rating should also be helped by the passage of this law.
- Approved a historic level of funding for Minnesota’s roads and bridges. These billions of dollars will help fund needs for the next ten years and was done without raising taxes.
- Increased funding for Minnesota public schools by $1.3 billion, which included proven reforms. Also provided schools with $25 million to assist in school safety measures.
- Delivered $1.4 billion in tax relief to Minnesotans, including relief for senior citizens, working families and college students with school loans.
- Passed a law to lower health care insurance costs and increase options for Minnesotans who have seen three years of double-digit premium increases as a result the Obama era Affordable Care Act.
There is more work to be done. With your vote, I will be able to continue representing our Central Minnesota values in St. Paul.
Thank you for your support.
Priorities
Taxes
I support tax relief for parents who are saving for their children’s post-secondary education, as well as, tax relief for post-secondary graduates who are paying back student loans.
Owners of commercial and industrial real estate are currently subject to a statewide property tax on these properties which are often used to provide jobs. The economic vitality of greater Minnesota businesses would be improved with a reduction of this tax.
Transportation
An increase in traffic in Minnesota supports a need for more roads and bridges. And our aging infrastructure also needs to be fixed and upgraded. Funding for this can be accomplished by gradually moving the sales taxes, which the state already collects, from vehicle sales and repairs and dedicating these funds to road and bridge projects.
Job Creation
The state of Minnesota must continue to address the issues that impede business growth and expansion. A more business friendly environment in Minnesota will attract more employers to our state. This can be accomplished by keeping regulatory requirements in check and streamlining permitting processes. These efforts will help lead to the creation of quality and lasting jobs for Minnesotans.
Education
The legislature has made progress in providing additional funding for Minnesota’s K-12 education. However, there is still work to be done. Currently, the education funding formula favors schools in the Twin Cities metro area over those of greater Minnesota. This means that greater Minnesota schools, including those in District 13B, receive less state support for education.
Veterans
I have had the honor of servicing on House committees that address veterans’ issues. Many of the bills I have authored supporting our veterans have become law.
I am an active member of Central Minnesota Warrior to Citizen and Yellow Ribbon Community initiatives. These organizations work to coordinate community resources for members of the military before, during and after their deployment. This includes assisting their families. Nine Central Minnesota communities, in partnership with government, educational institutions and non-profit organizations, have set up a resource network and outreach program to support service members and their families.
This content was originally published at http://odriscollforhouse.com/index.html