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Urdahl




Dear Neighbor,

I hope all is well and you are staying cool during this heat wave. Here are some quick items of interest from the House:

*Nursing home funding increase*

Nursing homes in House District 16A have begun receiving shares of the $300 million infusion in state funding fellow House Republicans and I championed and the Legislature provided last May.

The funding is a step toward stabilizing Minnesota?s struggling long-term care industry, with?nursing homes closing across the state and others on the financial brink. Families are waiting months and looking up to four hours away to find a safe place for loved ones, with a worker shortage that has left around 25 percent of nursing home caregiver jobs vacant.

It is the Legislature?s job to set the rates that nursing homes receive to hire and pay staff, care for residents, and cover their bills. It is good that we were able to provide additional funding this year to help them do their important work. House Republicans successfully negotiated increased funding for nursing homes after Gov. Tim Walz and House Democrats dedicated just $3.9 million to new nursing home funding in their original budget proposals for the new biennium.

In District 16A, Buffalo Lake Healthcare Center ($421,809), Clara City Care Center ($417,793), Franklin Restorative Care Center ($385,661), Meeker Manor Rehab Center in Litchfield ($526,238), Luther Haven in Montevideo ($506,156), Olivia Restorative Care Center ($465,991), Renville Health Center ($405,743) and Hilltop Health Care Center in Watkins ($425,826) received the first half of those funding totals earlier this month, with the remaining portions due Aug. 1, 2024.

*Concerns over changes in law impacting school safety*

Concerns are growing over how changes in state law made earlier this year could compromise safety in Minnesota schools.

An omnibus education bill (HF 2492)?enacted into law after the 2023 session concluded?imposes new prohibitions on the use of force in schools,?banning certain physical holds by ?an employee or agent of a district, including a school resource officer, security personnel, or police officer contracted with a district."

This change?will undermine our schools' ability to provide a safe learning environment for all students and staff throughout our state.

At the bare minimum, we must keep our students, teachers and staff safe in our schools. The changes the governor and Democrat legislators made earlier this year were?shortsighted and didn't foresee difficulties they would impose on discipline in our schools. This?could significantly hinder our ability to provide the safe learning environment that is paramount for our schools.

I have been in contact with resource officers in our area and share their concerns about how this change in law will impact safety in our schools. We need to revisit this issue as soon as possible to tighten up state law, ensuring our schools are safe and welcoming places to learn.

Legislation I personally authored during the 2023 legislative session?stipulated a student who is violent could be removed from a classroom and then returned after a consultation by the school administrator with the teacher, parents and appropriate school support personnel regarding ways to improve the students behavior. The Democrat majority initially included the measure in the omnibus education package last spring, but stripped it from the bill late in the process.

In addition, I authored into law the state's original legislation requiring Minnesota schools to conduct five lockdown drills annually to prepare for crisis situations.

*Back-to-school tax savings*

The cost of purchasing back-to-school supplies can quickly add up for families, which makes it a good idea for people to save receipts and take advantage of tax benefits that can provide some relief.?

Minnesota has both a K-12 education credit and a K-12 education subtraction for school-related expenses. Both programs reduce the taxes parents pay and could provide a larger refund when filing state income taxes. Qualifications apply and expenses must be for children attending kindergarten through 12th grade at a public, private, or home school.?

School supplies that qualify for the credit or subtraction include writing utensils, textbooks, musical instrument rentals, tutoring, and computer hardware/educational software. Parents are encouraged to check the Department of Revenue website [ [link removed] ] to determine which expenses qualify.??

While the education subtraction is not subject to income limits, the credit is limited to households with incomes less than $76,000 for families with one or two children, and $79,000 for families with three children. For families with three or more children, the household income must be less than $79,000 plus $3,000 for each additional child.???

The Department of Revenue reports more than 17,000 families received the K-12 Education Credit last year, for an average credit of $280. Additionally, over 134,000 families received the K-12 Education Subtraction, for an average subtraction of $1,266.

Look for more from the House soon and, as always, your input is welcome.

Sincerely,

Dean






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State Rep. Dean Urdahl
279 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
[email protected]
(651) 296-4344







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