Minnesota House of Representatives
Republican Caucus

(St. Paul, MN...) House Republicans today outlined their "Lunch Bucket Agenda" for the 2000 session, focusing on more tax cuts, funding for roads and bridges, protecting families, and promoting economic development in rural Minnesota. The agenda is aimed at helping average Minnesota families who work hard and pay the taxes that have created yet another budget surplus.

The centerpiece of the agenda is the Lunch Bucket Tax Cut, which includes another sales tax rebate and a permanent income tax cut heavily weighted toward middle class, "lunch bucket" families.

"As long as the state continues to take more money from our families than it needs, Republicans will continue proposing tax cuts," said Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum. "Even after the largest permanent tax cut in Minnesota history, we are still looking at another huge budget surplus."

The Republican tax proposal calls for another sales tax rebate, another « percent across the board income tax cut with a 3/4 percent cut for the middle tax bracket, and more property tax relief for farm families. House Republicans drove the tax cut debate in the 1999 session and they have again proposed the largest, most comprehensive tax package in the 2000 session.

In addition to tax cuts, the Lunch Bucket Agenda also includes an immediate one-time infusion of transportation money to help relieve traffic bottlenecks in the metro area and provide funding for rural roads and bridges to improve our transportation system and increase safety. The money will speed up the completion of transportation projects that have already been planned and approved but are simply awaiting funding.

"The time has come for a major commitment to roads and bridges," said Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty. "This initiative will get commuters home from work faster so they can spend more time with their families, and improve our roads and bridges in rural Minnesota, which will increase economic activity and safety."

Protecting families from repeat criminals will be another theme for the Minnesota House this year. Several proposals dealing with repeat sexual offenders will be addressed under the banner of "Katie's Law" in memory of Katie Poirier. Poirier was allegedly abducted and murdered by Donald Blom, a repeat sex offender who managed to allude law enforcement officials in Minnesota by continually changing his name and moving from county to county. Funding a statewide integrated computer network will prevent repeat offenders from doing this in the future.

The final piece of the Lunch Bucket Agenda includes a comprehensive economic development package targeted to rural Minnesota, where the economy hasn't necessarily kept pace with the Twin Cities metro area. The featured item is another permanent property tax relief package for farm families, similar to the one Republicans pushed through the legislature in 1999. But in addition to tax relief, House Republicans have committed another $40 million for specific programs to help rural communities continue to thrive.

"As Republicans, we understand not everyone has benefitted from the strong Minnesota economy and that our farm economy specifically has suffered," said Sviggum, who is also a farmer. "The most appropriate thing we can do for farmers is to permanently cut high property taxes on agricultural land to help with their bottom line."

The House Republican Lunch Bucket Agenda for 2000 includes only the top priorities for House Republicans in the upcoming session. Other significant initiatives will no doubt add to this agenda as the second year of Minnesota's experiment with tri-partisan government continues.

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