Advocating For Affordability

March 13, 2026

Advocating For Affordability

Friends and neighbors,

The Legislative Session is in full swing, and I am continuing to advocate on your behalf to make the Winona area, and Minnesota at large, a place where families can thrive.

Whether discussing income and property taxes or sales taxes and car tab fees, a frequent refrain that I hear from my conversations with you is that Minnesotans are taxed from all angles and at excessive rates. I agree, as Minnesota currently holds the unfortunate position of 44th out of the 50 states in terms of tax competitiveness. Coupled with the knowledge that a significant portion of this public money was stolen via fraud, Minnesotans deserve better from our government.

In today's newsletter, I would like to brief you on a few topics related to this priority:

Surprise Surplus

Amazingly, despite billions having been stolen through fraud, Minnesota is still on track to run a $3.7 billion budget surplus by the end of this Legislative Session, which is $1.3 billion higher than was predicted in the November budget forecast.

Some in St. Paul perceive this as a reason to celebrate and spend more money on state programs. I interpret this number as proof that Minnesotans are heavily overtaxed, and I am pushing for this surplus to be returned to the people. Whether through a one-time tax rebate or a disbursement to counties to help us fund our schools (which would in turn reduce property tax hikes), I will continue to fight on your behalf for your hard-earned money to be returned to the local level, where it is most impactful to your day-to-day life. 

No Tax On Tips And Overtime

Two other pieces of legislation that I am particularly excited about are HF3525 and HF3524, which are bills to bring Minnesota into alignment with new federal standards when it comes to taxing tips and qualified overtime.

The no tax on tips deduction can total up to $25,000 per year for all filing statuses, while the qualified overtime deduction can reach up to $25,000 for married joint filers and $12,500 for other filing statuses. These are big savings!

Together, the bills are estimated to put more than $300 million per year back into the wallets of the working Minnesotans who need the money most. Yet, they have received surprising opposition this week from some in the House. For instance, Rep. Aisha Gomez (D-Minneapolis) referred to them as an "expensive gimmick," and she stands in opposition to the bills on the grounds that they will reduce the tax base for the state government to draw from. It is my hope that she and others will reconsider their position, as there is rarely a bill that comes forward in the House that has such a direct positive impact for our state's workers.

Car Tab Fee Hikes Proposed

I was disturbed to hear comments from Rep. Meg Luger-Nikolai (D-St. Paul) during this week's Transportation Committee, in which she suggested that, "At some point, [she] may offer an amendment to quintuple the rates of these registration fees, so that we may fund other projects in the state that everybody deems worthy."

Click HERE to watch Rep. Luger-Nikolai's 5X car tab fee proposal.

Later attempting to rein in this statement, members across the aisle have claimed that Rep. Luger-Nikolai was simply using an exaggerated hypothetical. However, even considering the concept of raising car tab fees five times higher than their already-inflated levels is concerning to me as someone who is trying to use my position at the State Legislature to do right by working families. It seems like many in St. Paul believe that government spending is always the answer, and that the public has an infinite pool of money to draw from.

I believe that this is the wrong approach, and I am in favor of legislation to reduce car tab fees back to their original levels from several years ago. Minnesotans deserve a break.

Thank You For Sharing Your Priorities

I had the pleasure of meeting with many of you this week regarding legislative priorities that directly impact the Winona area. I had an excellent conversation with Engage Winona and Winona Area Kitchen Table to address the problems of homelessness and affordable housing. I appreciate hearing insight from boots-on-the-ground advocates so that we can draft bills that will improve the lives of our residents.

I also enjoyed the opportunity to speak with ATV MN regarding tax and operating laws, as well as land stewardship proponents regarding sustainability legislation.

Thank you to everyone who came up to visit me at the State Capitol! These face-to-face conversations are the best part of my job and are the bedrock of our American system of representative government.

Engage Winona & Winona Kitchen Table

ATV MN

Land Stewardship

I am honored to serve on your behalf, and I encourage you to reach out to me with the priorities that are most important to you.

Please Contact Me

Pease be sure to contact me to share your questions, comments, and concerns. I can be reached at 651-296-8637 or rep.aaron.repinski@house.mn.gov. 

Have a good day,

Aaron

/RepAaronRepinski

2nd Floor Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar Street
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.8637