| For Immediate Release | For more information contact: |
| February 9, 2001 | Jon Peterson (651-296-5989) |
ST. PAUL This week Rep. Rich Stanek (R-Maple Grove) and a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives voted to return the entire budget surplus to Minnesota taxpayers.
House File 378, which passed by a vote of 82-42, would provide an immediate rebate of the $924 million budget surplus, pending the revised budget forecast from the Department of Finance later this month. The legislation also allows for a procedure to allow taxpayers the option of sending their rebate back to the state to fund programs for child care, K-12 education, nursing homes, affordable housing, hazardous waste cleanup, public transit and transportation, or higher education.
"Many seniors, families and taxpayers need help paying their heating bills or buying prescription drugs this winter," said Rep. Stanek. "Others want to take a vacation or save for college. This rebate allows people to spend their money however they choose. The checkoff on the back of the rebate check would allow those who want the state to keep their rebate the ability to direct where it should go."
Taxpayers wishing to remit their rebate checks to any of the options mentioned above would simply need to endorse the check and return it to the state with the appropriate fund designation.
The bill now moves to the Senate for its consideration.
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