Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Legislative News and Views - Rep. John Poston (R)

Back to profile

Capitol Newsletter from Rep. John Poston

Friday, March 18, 2022

Dear Neighbors,

The March 15th deadline to prevent unnecessary tax increases on every business in the state has come and gone. There was a bipartisan bill that had agreement from Governor Walz, Senate Republicans, most Senate Democrats, and House Republicans to fix this issue. Sadly, House Democrats refused to even let the bill come up for a vote.

These taxes are set to take effect because of the state’s need to replenish the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund. The fund was depleted because of record levels of unemployment claims by Minnesotans as Governor Walz forced businesses to close during the pandemic. 

We currently have $9.3 billion in available state surplus funds that could be used to backfill the Fund. We could also use federal COVID relief funding that we received from D.C. By not utilizing either of these pots of money, the default repayment is tax increases on local employers by 15% or more.

Last month, Governor Walz’s employment commissioner said March 15 was the deadline for lawmakers to pass legislation and prevent significant tax increases on Minnesota businesses. The commissioner told the workforce committee that a failure to act would “create major problems” for the State of Minnesota.

With inflation at 40-year highs, we can ill afford another increase in costs as main street businesses struggle to cover the costs of these onerous tax increases. I will continue working hard to fix this issue. Our small businesses and Minnesotans deserve better.

Keeping Minnesotans Safe

On Thursday, House Republicans introduced legislation aimed at addressing issues that have been caused by a non-profit organization called the Minnesota Freedom Fund. 

The Freedom Fund received millions of dollars in donations from Democrats, including Kamala Harris, and Hollywood celebrities in the wake of the George Floyd death. It has since gone on to bail out defendants from Twin Cities jails who were arrested for murder, sex crimes, and other violent felonies. 

They have a record of making bail payments for criminals who commit other crimes following their release. One criminal supported by the Minnesota Freedom Fund was an alleged domestic abuser who murdered a man following his release on bail. 

Bail is a mechanism to ensure reappearance of the accused on their court date—not to serve as a “get out of jail free” card. The Freedom Fund has been directly putting Minnesotans’ safety at risk, sometimes with tragic consequences. This needs to be addressed and this bill is a good step forward.

Staying in Touch

I encourage you to reach out to me to share your priorities, thoughts, questions, and concerns. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4293 or via email at rep.john.poston@house.mn.

Have a great weekend,

John