It was a busy week in the state House of Representatives last week as three major bills were passed. One centered around health care, and
another was for jobs and energy. The most notable was the tax bill, which Representative Todd Lippert pointed out differs considerably from the tax bill passed in the senate last month.
The DFL, which controls the House, has long held that working families need more help. To that end the tax bill offers a $3000 childcare tax credit for each child under the age of five with a maximum credit of $7500 per year, alongside a one-time rebate of $325 for each child aged 16 and under.
The bill increases the student loan tax credit from $500 to $1400. Lippert said the credit would be refundable, so those who do not pay $1400 in loans each year would still receive the full amount of the credit.
Lippert said the bill provides the most property tax relief seen in a generation. The proposal offers $275 million in direct property tax credits. Those who qualify would receive a dollar-for-dollar credit against their property tax bill, which according to the bill’s sponsor, Representative Paul Marquardt, would be the largest property tax cut in twenty years.
The state taxes on Social Security income would be eliminated for joint filers earning up to $75,000 and $58,600 for individual taxpayers. The Republicans, who control the Senate, have made elimination of taxes on all Social Security income a centerpiece of their tax strategy this year, but the Democrats feel those outside of their income parameters do not need the help as much as those under the limits.
And that is the philosophical difference between the two tax bills. Members of the state GOP have repeatedly made the statement that, with a record $9.3 billion budget surplus, one of many over the last several years, they feel the state is over taxing people. Their proposal calls for an $8 billion across-the-board cut over the next three years. Lippert and his party believe that the massive cut puts the future financial health of the state in jeopardy. Much of the surplus is a result of one-time payments from the federal government due to the American Rescue Plan Act, and a permanent cut of that much state revenue is irresponsible. Rather, he said, the DFL wants to be more careful with how much is cut and with who receives the help.
“Our tax proposal is focused on getting relief to those who need it the most. That’s really our primary objective. We want to get some support to families, some support to seniors. We also want to help those facing student loan debt, and also those dealing with high property taxes.”
The bills now move to a conference committee, but the two parties will not have much time to work out the differences between them. The legislature is statutorily required to adjourn on May 23rd.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Todd Lippert can be heard here.
A.W. Norton House first to be a local preservation site
Last Tuesday the City Council voted to approve a recommendation by the Heritage Preservation Commission to dedicate the A.W. Norton House as a local historical site in Northfield.
The house is located at 418 College Street and was founded in 1878. There are three homes in Northfield that are listed as national historical sites, but the A.W. Norton House will be the first home in Northfield to be a local historical site
The A.W. Norton House was approved to be a local historical site based on two criteria: first that it’s associated with an important historical figure, and second that it has distinctive architectural features of a specific period.
According to Alice Thomas, who serves on the HPC and owns the Norton house with her husband Bruce, three important local men have lived in the house. First, the house’s namesake A.W. Norton lived there from 1878 to 1909. Norton was the Carleton College Treasurer, President of the Northfield Citizens Bank, and a three-term mayor. From 1909 to 1913, the Norton House was the residence of Carleton President Donald Cowling. Then, from 1913 to 1945, it was the residence of Frederick “Daddy” Lawrence, a Carleton Professor of Music who resurrected the college orchestra.
The Norton House has been carefully restored by Alice and Bruce Thomas. The exterior features the tall windows, tall porch, and delicate details characteristic of 19th century Italianate style.
The HPC hopes this is just the beginning and more historical homes will gain the recognition and the protection of being designated as a local historical site.
This story was written by KYMN contributor Cait Kelley
Multiple meetings on tap for the city council tomorrow night
And the Northfield City Council will hold a series of meetings tomorrow night in the Council Chambers at City Hall. 
The first will be a closed session as the Council will consider offers or counter offers for the sale of the Northfield Ice Arena. After the closed session, the council will hold a special meeting to consider a resolution approving the appointment of Jacob Reilly as the new Community Development Director.
Finally, the Council will hold a work session. The Council will discuss the timeline for the 2023-24 budget process, which will be followed by a presentation on potential improvements to the Jefferson Parkway/Jefferson Road intersection. That will be followed by further discussion on the Ice Arena.
As always, the City Council and the Northfield City Staff are eager to hear the opinions of the public on any matter, whether the subject is on the Council agenda or not. The meeting tomorrow night is a work session, so the Council will not hear from the public. However, those who do wish to make a point, air an opinion or ask a question can email their councilor directly or make use of the eComment function which can be found in the “Agendas” section of the city website.
The meeting will begin tomorrow night at 6pm.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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