(February 14, 2001) As part of Gov. Jesse Ventura's tax proposal, the state's K-12 education credit would be scaled back.

HF511, sponsored by House Speaker Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon), would limit the number of eligible expenses and reduce from 100 percent to 75 percent the amount of the credit.

The House Taxes Committee heard testimony Feb. 13 that the reduction would have a severe impact on some of the state's lower income families.

Currently families with a household income of less than $37,500 are eligible for the credit which can be applied towards the expenses for items and services such as certain textbooks, tuition, computer hardware and education software, musical instruction and instrument rentals, and qualifying transportation costs.

Morgan Brown, executive director of the Minnesota Education League, said the proposed changes would make the credit more confusing and less accessible. He said by reducing the percentage of the credit's value, and limiting what is eligible, figuring out the credit would become more complex.

Officials from the Department of Revenue testified that like much of the tax proposal, reduction in credit assistance to low income families would be offset by other measures in the proposal such as the increase in the state's working family tax credit.

Other Education stories

Return to today's Session Daily