Go take a leap

Here are links to information out there related to issues we hold dear.

It's 10:00 PM. Do you know where your legislator is?

"No man's life, liberty or property is safe while the Legislature is in session," so said 19th century Judge Gideon Tucker. It's a statement that rings true today.

If we don't let our legislators hear from us, well, we deserve what we get, so to speak. Here are some links to help you keep track of your state representatives, and the bills before them.

Know your representatives

Unsure who represents your district in the Minnesota House or Senate, or at the federal level? Your state legislature maintains a website for inquiring minds that want to know.

Fill out a short form with your address and view a web page with a list of your state and federal representatives. Another way of getting that the same information is to call (651) 296-2146 or (800) 657-3550 toll free.

Minnesota State Legislature home page

Check on the status of bills, see schedules for hearings, find out who represents you, and more at the official Minnesota State Legislature website

Official State of Minnesota websites

The state maintains several other web pages dedicated to the official business of the House and Senate. Here are a few links of interest.

Official Minnesota State Senate site: http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us
Official Minnesota House of Representatives site: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us
Joint House and Senate Commissions: http://www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/depts.htm
Official Minnesota Secretary of State website: http://www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp
Minnesota Department of Revenue guide to appealing your property's classification: http://snipurl.com/y0e2
Minnesota Department of Revenue Woods Report (An analysis of existing practices and recommendations for achieving higher quality and uniform assessments and consistency of property classifications): http://snipurl.com/y0zx
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html
DNR Lakefinder: data for more than 4,500 lakes and rivers: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index.html
DNR Environmental stewardship in your backyard: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/backyard/index.html
DNR Publications, books, videos and CD-ROMs: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/index.html
DNR Regulations:: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/boatwater/index.html
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/index.html
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/snowmobile/index.html
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/ohv/index.html

Whad'ya know?

Actually, you'll know quite a bit if you spend any time perusing the content on these websites. Read and reap.

Minnesota Taxpayers Association: http://www.mntax.org/index.php
Minnesota Waters: http://www.mnlakes.org
Calculating Your Property Taxes (U of M guide): http://snipurl.com/y0xl
Blue Waters: Key Environmental Legislation: http://snipurl.com/y0y1
Article: Tax Bite Growing Sharply for Lake Cabins: http://snipurl.com/y0z3
Article: Leech Lake Land Grab: http://snipurl.com/y0z7
Article: "Pulse of the Twin Cities" shows how sunsetting of Limited Market Value will affect home owners in Minneapolis: http://snipurl.com/y0yk
Friends of the BWCA, with a goal to protect, preserve and restore the wilderness character of the BWCA and the Quetico-Superior Eocsystem.: http://www.friends-bwca.org