Here's an excerpt from last week's e-mail update from Minnesota state Rep. Paul Kohls, a Victoria Republican whose district includes St. Lawrence Township: 

Before you start on your taxes, take note of new tax deductions that the House passed and will soon be signed into law by Gov. Pawlenty.

If you pay college tuition or if you are a teacher who purchases classroom supplies with your own money, you could be inline for tax savings. The U.S. Congress passed the deductions just before the end of
2006 and we're ratifying them so eligible Minnesotans can benefit.

Talk with your tax preparer or visit www.taxes.state.mn.us to see if you are eligible and determine your benefit. You can also find all the forms you'll need on the Web site.

This is a great first step, but I sincerely believe the bill could have been made even better. House Republicans offered several amendments that would have expanded the number of taxpayers eligible for tax relief. For example, the bill we passed provides businesses operating on tribal lands with the ability to take advantage of accelerated depreciation of capital purchases. I offered an amendment to provide similar tax relief to all Minnesota small businesses, regardless of where they are located. Unfortunately, my amendment, along with the other five Republican amendments were defeated. It was discouraging that not a single member for the DFL voted for any of the Republican amendments.

Committees are focused now on broad overview hearings, which allow members to understand the agencies under a committee's jurisdiction and the types of issues the committees will address throughout the session. These hearings will wrap up in the next week or so and more bills will be scheduled for committee hearings. I'll keep you posted on the progress of the various high-profile bills as the session progresses. 

Paul

To sign up for session e-mail updates, go to www.house.mn/34A.