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Legislative Update
Dear Neighbors,
This week, the Governor presented his 2021-2022 budget proposal. Gov. Walz is proposing $1.7 billion in new taxes including a 10 percent hike to Minnesota's top tax bracket, a 15 percent hike to Minnesota's business tax, and regressive tax hikes on cigarettes and vaping products that disproportionately hit low-income Minnesotans. The Governor is proposing only .3% in cuts ($150 million) out of a $52+ billion budget.
While I was glad to see that housing issues got some attention in the governor's budget, the fact remains that this budget does far more harm than good. Massive tax hikes will only hurt Minnesota families and businesses that are still reeling from the Governor’s shutdowns and executive orders. Minnesotans have had to cut their budgets this year, and it is past time to ask state agencies to do the same.
During Thursday's floor session, one of my colleagues offered an amendment that would allow wedding venues to operate at a higher capacity than they are currently allowed. Currently, indoor wedding venues are limited to 10 people or 2 households if food is served, while restaurants and bars can operate at up to 50 percent capacity, and indoor events and entertainment are open at 25% capacity up to 150 attendees.
Restricting wedding venues to 10 or 15 people while allowing restaurants and other businesses to be open at a much higher capacity is obviously a double standard. We know that if restaurants can safely operate at a higher capacity, a large wedding venue with ample social distancing space can do the same. It is time to trust Minnesota wedding venues to safely continue operating so that the many industries that rely on them can have some certainty.
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Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions or comments. It's an honor to be your voice at the Capitol!
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/RepTamaTheis
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201 State Office Building 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Saint Paul, MN 55155 651.296.6316 |
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