State Representative David Bly, District 25B

Star Tribune editorial writer and columnist Lori Sturdevant wrote in an editorial piece on April 27 that homeowners’ property taxes over the last 6 years have increased, on average, 82%. In the upcoming year, taxes are forecast to increase 7.7%. These increases are forcing many homeowners into difficult financial problems.

This Legislature is committed to helping those who cannot afford these increases to stay in their homes. Two DFL legislators, House DFL tax chair Ann Lenczewski (DFL Rep for District 40B) and property tax division chair Paul Marquart (DFL Rep for District 09B), are working together and have co-authored a bill (HF1222). According to Sturdevant, “Lenczewski and Marquart proposed to ease the property tax burden on homeowners least able to bear it, by putting the state’s property tax refund program, or “circuit breaker,” on steroids. It would bulk up state refunds to homeowners whose property tax burdens are disproportionately high relative to their incomes, making it big enough to block next year’s expected property tax increases for a majority of Minnesotans.”

Review HF1222 and follow it through the Legislature. Go the MN House website and type “HF1222″ in the search for bills by number.

The public is welcome to join Sen. Kevin Dahle and myself at several Town Hall meetings we have scheduled. Below is a list of places and times we will be available for your questions and concerns.

Tuesday May 6th
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Lonsdale City Hall
415 Central Street West, Lonsdale, 55046

Saturday May 10th
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Belle Plaine Library
125 W Main, Belle Plaine, 56011

Tuesday, May 13
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Northfield Public Library
210 Washington Street, Northfield, 55057

Saturday, May 17
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Nerstrand City Hall,
221 Main Street, Nerstrand, MN

The Declaration of Independence is coming to the Minnesota History Center May 6-18 for a free public exhibit.
As part of the Office of Secretary of State’s 150th anniversary we are bringing a rare, original printing of the Declaration of Independence to the Minnesota History Center, May 6-18.
This copy, known as a “Dunlap Broadside,” is one of the 25 remaining originals printed the night of July 4, 1776, by Philadelphia printer John Dunlap. It is the only copy that travels for exhibition.
With generous financial support from Dolan Media Company, we are able to bring this copy of the Declaration to Minnesota for a free public exhibit. It will be on display with two handwritten copies of the original Minnesota State Constitution.

Our partners in this exhibit are the Minnesota Historical Society and the Sesquicentennial Commission.

Words do matter. Come see for yourself. Below is the exhibit schedule:

Tuesday, May 6th, 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.
Wednesday through Sunday, May 7-11, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday, May 13, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Wednesday through Sunday May 14-18, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Minnesota History Center is located at 345 Kellogg Boulevard West in St. Paul. It is located at the junction of I-35E and I-94 on the western edge of downtown St. Paul at the corner of Kellogg and John Ireland boulevards.

Phone 651-259-3000, 651-282-6073 (TTY) or 800-657-3773 (toll free)

Detailed directions; Parking rates and information

On May 11, 2008, Minnesota will reach its 150th anniversary as the 32nd state in the United States of America. Beginning in January 2008, the Sesquicentennial will be a yearlong, statewide commemoration and a catalyst, to learn from our past and connect all of us as Minnesotans in creating a thriving, innovative future.
Statehood Week is Coming Up! (Check out the official events)
Statehood Week Festivities, May 11 – 18, including a Statehood Commemoration Ceremony in St. Paul, Capital for a Day in various communities across Minnesota, and the Statehood Festival & Expo on May 17 & 18 at the State Capital Grounds in St. Paul, to showcase Minnesota People, Places & Progress.

New! Learn more about the Official Sesqui events and other events happening throughout the state.

We invite you to join us all summer in honoring our home Minnesota, but especially this May. Be a part of this historic, once-in-a-lifetime event in Minnesota’s history. Share this invitation with your friends and family. It’s simple, just click here!

According to Northfield blogger Debbie Nitz from the Northfield.org website:

“As the state’s Sesquicentennial draws closer, two ambassadors are making their way across Minnesota. These emissaries are banners that will make stops at libraries in every county in Minnesota before returning to St. Paul on May 11th, 2008 for the 150th anniversary of statehood. The banner will be in Northfield on Thursday, May 8th through Friday, May 9th.
The banner will be presented to Northfield officials by the James Gang. Each banner is accompanied by a leather-bound journal in which visitors can write thoughts about Minnesota and the Sesquicentennial. People are invited to sign the journal at Bridge Square on Thursday, May 8th after a ceremonial presentation beginning at 6pm. The banner and the journal will be at the Northfield Public Library all day Friday from 9:30am – 5:30pm. Booker, the Northfield Bookmobile will transport the banner and journal to St. Paul on Saturday, May 10. Both items will be presented to the Governor at Statehood Weekend in May, and eventually will find a home with the Minnesota Historical Society.”

Go to the website for more information on upcoming events in Northfield.

The Minnesota Foreclosure Crisis Summit II was held on April 29th, 2008 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Over 200 housing officials and community leaders from throughout Minnesota attended the event. Important new foreclosure data and best practices for responding to foreclosures were presented by a series of non-profit and government leaders. During the summit, The Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF) along with Housing Link, released a sobering study on foreclosures in Minnesota. They expect 28,000 home foreclosures in Minnesota this year, up 39% over last year as reported by the Star Tribune. The greatest increase in foreclosures is again primarily in Greater Minnesota, as they were in 2007, and specifically in Mahnomen, Clearwater, Scott, and Watonwan counties.

The full report can be found on the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund’s website

I have been receiving calls from as far as Michigan requesting more information on the Feed-In Tariff program I have been working on. This program has generated much excitement in the field of renewable energy and I will continue working to bring this idea to fruition.

Some of the people I talked to have actually complimented this blog on the information pertaining to FIT. Many enjoyed viewing the 3 videos on the right and learned more about the FIT program.

The first video is a conference I attended with the World Future Council (WFC) in Washington D.C., the second video is a 40 min feed of a cell-phone conversation with Terry Tamminen, author of “Lives Per Gallon, The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction” as he discusses FIT, and the third video is about “The German Feed-In Tariff Law.” Viewing this video gives you a good idea on how this program could work in Minnesota. Take some time and review the 3 videos.

National Junior Ranger Day will be celebrated on Saturday, April 26, at the Saint Croix River Visitor Center in Saint Croix Falls, WI., and the Namekagon River Visitor Center in Trego, WI. For more information visit their website.

The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway received a grant from the National Park Foundation to host Junior Ranger Ambassador Elise Johnson to develop a Junior Ranger Activity Booklet. The booklet, available to children from 8-12 years of age, features 17 activities about diverse topics such as eagles, wolves, logging history, and scenery on the Riverway. The Junior Ranger Activity Booklet is posted on the Riverway website and can be downloaded. A printed copy of the booklet will be available at the Riverway visitor centers and the Marshland Center. Please call to ensure the booklet is available at the St. Croix River Visitor Center, 401 North Hamilton Street, St. Croix Falls, WI, phone number (715) 483-2274.

While the Junior Ranger program is available for children every day, special events are planned for National Junior Ranger Day. The St. Croix River Visitor Center will host the University of Minnesota Raptor Center on April 26. A live bald eagle, a barred owl, and other birds of prey will be on display from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with Jackie Fallon from the Raptor Center answering questions about the birds. Numerous other activities are available that day also so visit the website for more information.

The House and Senate joint environmental and energy group has worked to address budget issues in the deficit reduction bill. Included in the bill are several provisions I authored focusing on quickly energizing our Green Economy in Minnesota. We want to infuse venture capital and long term investment in Minnesota’s burgeoning clean energy economy.

You probably already know that Minnesota is the Silicon Valley of Windows - with Andersen Windows, Marvin Windows, Cardinal Glass in Northfield and Eden Prairie, Sage Electrochromics in Faribault, and 3M who makes a variety of films and tinting for windows. The challenge is to move from a deep leadership position in one area to a broad leadership position across related clean energy industries. A review of the draft version of House File (HF3999) will give you an idea of these Green Job provisions.

Several of us are attending the opening of Great River Energy’s new headquarters in Maple Grove, to commemorate the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum-rated building in Minnesota. The building is a model of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, and I hope that many communities can learn from this facility. I should note that Chisago City’s new public works building is currently on track to receive a LEED Gold rating, only one step below the Great River Energy’s Platinum rating.

I hope your Earth Day was memorable.