February 12, 2021
Dear Neighbor,
We are now more than a month into the legislative session, and if the emails and phone calls and letters I’ve been getting from you are any indication, there is a lot of interest in discussions and work happening in St. Paul. I hope you’ll always take the opportunity to reach out.
Celebrating Black History Month
February 1st through March 1st is recognized federally and state-wide as Black History Month. In recognition of that, I’d encourage us all to take time to reflect on the history and contributions of African American people to America and our democracy. While we have made progress in recognizing our history, we still have critical work to do to achieve an equitable and just America that we all deserve. I am committed to centering racial equity in my work as a Senator. It is the way we will address the large disparities in outcomes we see in many areas of life in our state. I also wanted to share these comments made by Senator Bobby Joe Champion of Minneapolis during one of our Senate floor sessions on the true importance of Black History Month.
Tax Filing Opens Today
The state and federal tax-filing season officially opens on Friday, February 12th. Taxpayers have until April 15th, 2021, to file income tax returns for Tax Year 2020. This year, there are many items to consider when filing taxes:
Federal Recovery Rebate: The Economic Impact Payments (“stimulus checks”) distributed by the federal government in 2020 were based on taxpayers’ 2018 or 2019 tax return data. Some taxpayers did not receive the full stimulus payments or did not qualify at all. Those taxpayers should examine potential eligibility for a federal Recovery Rebate on their federal taxes, which is based on 2020 tax information. The IRS website provides more information on the Recovery Rebate Credit, but it particularly applies to:
- Those who lost wages in 2020 compared to 2019
- Recent college graduates
- Anyone who did not receive the full amount of the first EIP of $1,200 ($2,400 married-joint) or the second EIP of $600 ($1,200 married-joint)
- Free state income tax filing: Free electronic filing of Minnesota taxes is available for Minnesotans whose Adjusted Gross Income is $72,000 or less or who meet certain other requirements, which vary based on the electronic tax-filing system used. To determine eligibility for each program, visit the Department’s website.
Free tax preparation: Taxpayers may qualify for free tax preparation help for federal and Minnesota income tax returns if they meet one of these criteria: be age 60 or older, have a disability, speak limited or no English, or have income less than $57,000 per year. There are more than 200 free tax preparation sites across Minnesota offering help from IRS-certified volunteers. Most sites are open February 12 through April 15 and can be found on the Department’s website.
Fraud prevention: The Department of Revenue reviews and verifies information on all tax returns to make sure the right refund goes to the right person. Learn more about identity theft and see tips on how to protect financial information on the Identity Theft and Tax Refund Fraud page.
Track refunds: Taxpayers can track the status of their refunds by using the Where’s My Refund? system on the Department of Revenue’s website. The system will alert filers whether any additional action is needed and will display the exact date any refunds are sent.
Property tax refunds: Renters and homeowners in Minnesota may be eligible for property tax refunds. The applications must be filed separately from income tax returns and refunds will not be distributed until after August 2021. Forms may be found here.
Bills Move Forward
Committee work is the main focus of our time until we reach second deadline on March 19th, and here are a couple examples of bills that I have worked on that are moving forward. Yesterday, I was joined by Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse and Fire Chief Ulie Seal to present S.F. 88. This would provide for a sales tax exemption on construction materials for the new Bloomington Fire Station #4, saving Bloomington taxpayers thousands of dollars. S.F. 88 was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill, so it would require a larger tax bill passing to become law. I will be working with my colleagues on the Tax Committee to ensure that it does move forward.
I’m also a co-author of S.F. 269, which is based on the recommendations of the Family Child Care Task Force that I served on, along with Senator Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake, Representatives Ami Wazlawik of White Bear Twp and Lisa Demuth of Cold Spring, as well as representatives of child care providers, parents, businesses, and organizations from across the state. The group began meeting in the fall of 2019, and issued our final report earlier this month. S.F. 269 would provide funds to establish a Family Child Care Regulation Modernization project. The purpose would be to ensure that regulations related to family child care are more accurately viewed through a lens of national best practices, and that violations and sanctions are appropriately weighted based on health and safety risks for children. This bill is an important first step in ensuring that child care providers are held to standards that reflect real world needs and expectations. This is important as we work to find ways to attract new people to the child care field and retain current providers. Access to quality child care is fundamental to mothers and fathers being able to work.
I’m grateful to have had some opportunities recently to meet with constituents, including advocates for 100% clean energy, and the Bloomington League of Women Voters. Looking forward, I will be attending a virtual lunch with other area legislators and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and ensuring that the concerns I’m hearing from you are also heard by our federal leaders. I’m also anticipating the Virtual Muslim Day on the Hill, and continuing committee work on the budget and other important priorities. I hope you’ll continue to keep in touch if you have any questions or concerns you’d like to share!
Regards,
Melissa