| For Immediate Release | For more information contact: |
| March 29, 1999 | Bill Walsh (651-296-0640) |
SAINT PAUL -- Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum today lamented the fact that no progress has been made on the one-time tax rebate and called on Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe and Governor Ventura to move quickly on the agriculture rebate proposal passed by the House.
"We have done everything we can to get this rebate out the door including agreeing to the sales tax as the method of distribution," said Sviggum. "All we asked for was a handshake on a significant permanent income tax cut, but we didn't get it. Now it's time to help farmers with their piece of the rebate so they can plan for spring planting."
The rebate bill has been held up in a House-Senate conference committee, but it now appears the rebate will be added to the omnibus tax bills now making their way through tax committees. Sviggum is concerned that rebate checks will not be sent until next fall, meaning farmers will not get any immediate relief.
"The House had always intended for the checks to go out as early as possible," said Sviggum. "The DFL and the governor are blocking the release of rebate checks until the fall, but our farm families need help now, and I think it is highly appropriate to take action on our farm tax relief package now to do what we can to stop the bleeding in our agriculture economy."
Sviggum also announced that the House budget resolution will be heard on the floor today. "The budget resolution you will see pass the House is a tremendous and monumental step in the right direction of curbing government spending and growth," Sviggum said.
"The resolution allows for spending increases in the areas facing the most need such as K-12 education, early childhood and health care, but counters some of that growth with reductions in state government itself.
"We have kept faith with our words to Minnesota families during the campaign last fall," Sviggum said. "We have reduced the growth in government spending by tremendous amounts, and have begun to turn the wayward steamship of spending slowly back toward a more normal and responsible course."
Last year, the DFL majority increased spending by nearly 18 percent. This year's spending resolution calls for an increase of just 4.8 percent in the state's budget.