As state representatives and senators debate during this legislative session, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce will emphasize its five priorities to enhance the state's economy.

The state chamber's lobbying at the Capitol will focus on five major priorities to keep the state's economy changing and growing, according to a news release.

Locally, the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will work toward that effort.

“Every year, as a partner, our board scrutinizes and deliberates whether it will go on the record as supporting any or all of the priorities,” International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce President Faye Whitbeck said. “This year, our chamber endorsed all five priorities and would support the Minnesota chamber’s directives and actions as it moves ahead lobbying throughout the legislative session to advance its priorities.”

“Good things are happening on the Minnesota economic front,” Jan Kruchoski, chair of the Minnesota Chamber Board of Directors, said in a release. “Our state is outperforming the national economy in many regards. We want to make sure the momentum continues.”

The top priorities this year are:

• Reduce uncompetitive taxes: Allow business owners who report income from their business on their personal income tax return to deduct a certain portion of this income from their taxes to encourage growth and reinvestment in their Minnesota business. Improve tax competitiveness for the state’s largest employers by enhancing the research-and-development credit and reducing the corporate tax rate.
• Education/workforce: Accelerate our workforce development efforts to help employers struggling to find the workers their businesses need to grow.
• Health care: Ensure small employers are able to provide quality and affordable health care coverage for their workers.
• Transportation: Maintain a solid transportation system by passing a 10-year funding plan that provides for sustained and strategic investment in roads, bridges and transit.
• Labor/management: Eliminate the automatic inflation index in the state’s minimum wage rate, and reduce employer costs by advancing workers’ compensation reforms in the hospital fee schedule for treatment of injured workers.

The Minnesota Chamber will also continue its work to streamline environmental permitting and ensure competitive electric rates – elements that are essential for Minnesota companies to be successful in the global marketplace, it said in the release.

David

Herman

International Falls native David Herman has taken over his new role as CEO of Essentia Health.

Herman has been in the position for two weeks and is becoming familiar with physicians and staff. In the coming weeks, he will travel to meet employees in the Duluth, Brainerd, and Fargo areas, according to a news release.

Herman said he looks forward to caring for communities in northern Minnesota and beyond.

“Minnesota is our home, and home to our families,” he said the release. “We are thrilled to return to northern Minnesota.”

Herman most recently served as president and CEO of Vidant Health, a health system in eastern North Carolina. There he oversaw an organization with eight hospitals, 70 clinics and 12,000 employees. Prior to that, he served on the Mayo Clinic staff from 1988 to 2011, where he was a professor of ophthamology.

Herman continues to practice as an eye specialist, and will see patients in ophthamology while serving as Essentia’s CEO.

“Herman is a highly qualified and experienced healthcare executive and physician who will further advance Essentia’s mission of making a healthy difference in people’s lives,” Richard Blair, Essentia’s board chair, said in the release.

“Essentia Health has a long, successful history with strong physician leadership and community partnership,” Herman said. “I am honored and proud to be here.”

Herman is a 1975 graduate of Falls High School, as well as a 1977 graduate of Rainy River Community College. His parents still live in the Falls, as does his brother and his family.

Former CEO Peter Person will assist Herman with the transition. Person will continue to serve Essentia as emeritus CEO, working part-time on special projects until June 30.