Dear Neighbor,
The Legislature has now adjourned for 2017 and it will go down as one of the most productive years in recent history.
For all the good work that was done, this year will be defined by the tax relief and increased funding for roads and bridges we provided. Those are two of the issues people in our district care about most and we came through. The $650 million tax-relief bill and $300 million in increased funding for transportation over the next biennium alone are big victories for Minnesotans.
It is satisfying to see hard work and determination produce these phenomenal results.
The House of Representatives and Senate concluded a brief special session early this morning by passing the final bills that comprise the state’s 2018-19 budget. In all, the Legislature passed seven bills during special session: taxes, transportation, state government, health and human services, K-12 education, capital investment and labor standards.
The tax relief is the largest tax cut in nearly two decades, with Minnesota families seeing $650 million in reductions in 2018-19 and roughly $750 million in relief in 2020-21. The burden will be less for seniors on social security, college graduates with student loan debt, and property tax relief for farmers and Minnesota businesses.
It is especially rewarding to correct the wrong that was our state’s excessive tax on Social Security income. Our seniors deserve better and the tax bill we passed will leave extra money in their pocket each month. That will make a real difference for many people in our state, especially those on fixed incomes.
As for transportation, the bill we approved features the largest investment in road and bridge infrastructure in state history, billions more for transportation over the next 10 years without an increase in the gas tax or license tab fees.
In all, the Legislature sent 10 budget bills, a $995 million bonding bill and a labor standards bill to the governor for his signature and I encourage him to swiftly enact the budget.
I will follow these highlights on taxes and transportation with overviews of various other budget bills in future emails. Until then, have a good weekend, enjoy Memorial Day and be safe as you travel.
Sincerely,
Chris