Text: August 8, 2013Via Hand DeliveryRepresentative Kurt Daudt, Minority Leader267 State Office BuildingSt. Paul, MN 55155Senator David Hann, Minority Leader14 7 State Office BuildingSt. Paul, MN 55155Dear Minority Leader Daudt and Minority Leader Hann:As you know, Governor Dayton wishes to call a Special Session for Monday, September 9. The sessionwill be called primarily to provide disaster relief to the eighteen counties included in the federal disasterdeclaration signed by President Obama on July 25. Preliminary damage assessments determined that thestorms caused $17.8 million in damage and resulted in the largest power outage in Minnesota history.The Minnesota Legislature has a strong history of providing disaster relief in a timely and bipartisanmanner. It appears that a Special Session is needed to provide the state and local match for FederalEmergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance. Prompt legislative action will enableimpacted communities to continue disaster recovery efforts that might otherwise be impeded absent statefinancial assistance.The Special Session also provides an opportunity to address an issue impacting the hardworking farmersin our state. Farmers in many parts of the state are experiencing significant hardship due to last year'sdrought, the extraordinarily long winter, and wet conditions that have limited crop planting and resultedin a shortage of forage. We believe we can provide some relief by repealing the sales tax on farmequipment repair that went into effect on July 1.We believe that the potential Special Session provides an opportunity to repeal the farm equipmentrepair sales tax because we can eliminate it without engaging in a divisive fight over how to pay for thetax cut. The Minnesota Department of Revenue estimated a General Fund impact of $28.6 million infiscal years 2014 and 2015 for the repeal and there is money remaining on the state's biennial bottomline to absorb this cost.We request your support in proceeding forward with a Special Session to address FEMA disasterassistance and elimination of the farm equipment repair sales tax. There is strong bipartisan support forboth measures. Members of both parties have raised other issues in the context of a possible SpecialSession. In the interest of delivering timely relief to the communities affected by the recent storms,along with farmers across the state struggling as a result of these and other weather events, we will limitthe session to just these two items.Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to your response.Sincerely,Paul ThissenSpeaker of the HouseThomas BakkSenate Majority LeaderCc: Governor Mark Dayton