Letter to the editor: Hoeven uses common sense efforts to get things done

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It has been an honor to serve as senator from District 13 for 16 years. During that time it has been a pleasure to work with Gov. John Hoeven. Working together, Hoeven and the North Dakota Legislature have accomplished a great deal. The positive business environment that has been created has led to expansion of existing businesses and recruiting of new ones to the state. This results in one of the most important results of all, more jobs for our citizens. At the same time $400 million in broad-based tax relief and reform has been enacted, including $295 million in property tax relief, $90 million in individual income tax relief and $10 million in corporate income tax reductions. An increase in Homestead Tax Credits helps our state’s lower income elderly or disabled citizens remain in their homes, rather than having to sell because of struggling to pay property taxes.

K-12 education funding was a record $1.3 billion, with nearly $290 million more in state and federal funding. Higher education was supported with additional funding, including more financial aid. Nearly $100 million of one-time funding was provided for capital projects and deferred maintenance on our campuses. We could pay for it; there was no bonding. Repairing and maintaining the structures that we have is essential.

These efforts took pressure off our local school districts, cities and counties, and we continued to provide incentives to permit our energy sector to grow.

Some people have recently tried to paint Hoeven as being too conservative. At the same time, others have claimed him to be a liberal. I think that the best words to describe the efforts of Hoeven are common sense, and we need more common sense in Washington.

These past 10 years, Hoeven has been a compassionate, innovative and fair leader for the state of North Dakota. I enthusiastically support his race for the U.S. Senate and look forward to seeing him work to do for our nation what he has helped to do for our state.

Sen. Judy Lee

West Fargo, N.D.

(Lee, a Republican, represents District 13 in the North Dakota Legislature)

Tags: opinion, letters, hoeven, lee