Politics & Government

Fridley Reps Introduce Bills on Marriage Amendment, Mortgage Value Homestead Tax Credit

Also of interest in House: tornado tax relief, bicycle lights, foreclosure tenants.

The three state representatives whose districts include parts of Fridley have so far signed on a cosponsors of two bills: one to repeal the marriage amendment, the other to restore the Mortgage Value Homestead Credit.

Repealing Marriage Amendment
Rep. Carolyn Laine (DFL-50A), who represents western and southern Fridley, and Rep. Kate Knuth (DFL-50B), who represents Fridley's southeastern corner, are co-authors with 15 others of a bill to repeal the marriage amendment passed last year.

The amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is currently set to appear on ballots throughout the state in November. It would define marriage as between one man and one woman.

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Restoring Mortgage Value Homestead Credit
All three of Fridley's representatives—Laine, Knuth and Tom Tillberry (DFL-51B)—are cosponsors of a bill that would restore the mortgage value homestead credit to the state's tax law.

To help balance the state’s budget, the Minnesota Legislature repealed the market value homestead credit, a program created in 2001 through which the state would cut homeowners’ property taxes, and then reimburse the cities and counties the amount of the cut (although the state often didn’t pay the local governments the full amounts they were owed).

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The credit applies to homes valued less than $413,778 that are homesteaded—or the homeowner’s primary residence. But to protect these homeowners from a property tax increase once the program disappears, , which drives down local government tax revenues. (.)

Other Bills of Interest
Here are a few other bills from among those introduced on the first day of the session Tuesday that may be of interest to people in Fridley.


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