Dear Neighbors,
We have about a month to go in the 2019 legislative session and things in St. Paul are starting to heat up with omnibus finance bills moving from committee to the House floor. I continue to work hard to make sure taxpayers are protected and that the interests of our area are well represented at the capitol.
As budget proposals are being debated, I am concerned about the excessive tax increases included in the House Democrat plan.
In fact, House Democrats are proposing to raise taxes by more than $12 billion over the next four years across the entirety of their budget.
Here’s a breakdown of some of those tax increases (over four years):
- Tax bill: $4.004 billion
- Increased taxes on businesses will raise consumer prices and reduce wages for workers while making Minnesota’s business climate uncompetitive
- Transportation bill: $3.873 billion
- Includes 70% gas tax increase, registration (tab fee) increases, vehicle sales tax increases, and a large metro area sales tax increase
- Health and Human Services bill: $2.55 billion
- Reinstates provider tax that is levied on a variety of patient services including things like baby deliveries, chemotherapy treatments, routine doctor visits, emergency room visits, and more.
- Paid Family Leave: $2.074 billion
- $2.074 billion in new payroll taxes on employees and employers meaning less money in Minnesotans’ paychecks
It is incredibly frustrating that House DFLers are proposing such dramatic tax increases at a time when the state has a $1 billion budget surplus. Minnesota families cannot afford this.
This is setting up to be a bumpy end to session as the Governor, House DFL, and Senate Republicans are still quite a ways apart on their budget proposals. Stay tuned as we move into the final month of session.
I will continue to fight for common sense fiscal policies that put Minnesota taxpayers first and protect your pocketbooks.
Staying in Touch
That’s all for this week’s update. Please be sure to contact me to share any questions or concerns you may have about anything related to state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-8237 or via email at rep.brian.daniels@house.mn. It would be great to speak with you!
Have a great week,
Brian