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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you enjoyed the beautiful weather last weekend and were able to spend time outdoors with your families over the Easter/Passover holiday. I hope the rain we are receiving this week results in spring flowers soon!
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Executive Summary
- Omnibus budget bills
- New DFL tax proposals
- Update on tax relief for PPP and supplemental unemployment benefits
- Standing up for victims of sexual assault
- Road closures
- Helpful links
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Omnibus budget bills
This week committees were busy finalizing their respective omnibus budget bills. My committees, Taxes, Human Services Finance and Policy, and Judiciary Finance and Civil Law, have had several lengthy meetings discussing amendments to these bills. The next stop for these omnibus bills is the Ways and Means Committee, which will hear all of them next week before they are brought to the House Floor.
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New DFL tax proposals
The state currently has a $1.6 billion surplus and is expecting another $5 billion from the federal government from the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Of this $5 billion, which may ultimately go as high as $8 billion, $2.6 billion is not designated for specific purpose and $2.4 billion is designated for healthcare, housing, education, etc. Therefore, we have a $4.2 billion surplus currently available and that number may increase if we get additional revenue from the federal government.
Despite the current $4.2 billion surplus, and billions more coming from the federal government, the House DFL has proposed $2.1 billion in tax increases. This would have devastating consequences for Minnesota's businesses and families who have sacrificed so much over the past year. These tax increases are in addition to those already proposed by Governor Walz, which I discussed in an earlier newsletter. Here are just a few of the ways the DFL wants to raise taxes:
- Similar to one of Governor Walz’s proposals, the DFL creates a new 5th tier income tax of 11.15% starting at $1 million of income. This would give Minnesota the second highest tax rate in the country.
- A gas tax increase of $350 million by linking the tax to the Highway Construction Cost Index. The proposal amounts to a 5-cent per gallon increase over four years.
- A light rail tax of $916 million with a half percent increase to the Metro Sales tax. Although 98% of Minnesotans travel by car, everyone in the metro would have to pay this increase in the sales tax.
- Hundreds of millions in other transportation-related tax and fee hikes, including increasing registration and tab fees and increasing the Motor Vehicle Sales tax.
The transportation tax and fee hikes were completely unexpected as none received committee hearings this year. These taxes are regressive and will only make Minnesota a more expensive place to live and drive.
With a $4.2 billion surplus, the state does not need additional revenue from hard-working Minnesotans. Families cannot afford new taxes and I will fight against these proposals.
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Update on tax relief for PPP and supplemental unemployment benefits
Minnesotans are still waiting for the DFL to act on PPP/UI relief. House Republicans have tried several times to get this done, but our efforts are always blocked. Currently, PPP relief is in the DFL's omnibus tax bill, but it is capped at $350,000.
Our proposal would provide tax relief to anyone who received a PPP loan. The state government shut down their businesses and they took the loans in good faith to keep their workers employed. Under the conditions of the loan, they couldn’t keep any back to pay taxes, so they now have large tax bills that they can’t pay. The state should not now be profiting from loans businesses took to try to stay afloat and keep employees on the payroll.
Similarly, those who received supplemental unemployment benefits are also facing state tax liability they were not expecting and cannot afford to pay. Although federal and state tax deadlines have been moved to May 17th, that may not help taxpayers as that is the date of our adjournment. If we don’t get the tax bill done until midnight (or later) on the 17th, they will owe these taxes or face fines.
We cannot continue to hold businesses and unemployed workers hostage in budget and tax negotiations. The House needs to pass a "clean" bill to give tax relief for PPP loans and unemployment benefits NOW.
We have $2.6 billion in undesignated funds available from the federal government to cover this cost and we should provide certainty and relief to taxpayers right away. They have waited long enough. The Senate has already passed this bill. There is no reason our chamber should not be able to do the same.
I spoke about the need to get this PPP relief passed quick in the Taxes Committee this week. You can watch my speech here.
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Standing up for victims of sexual assault
You may have heard about a recent Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that found that under current Minnesota law victims of sexual assault cannot be considered "mentally incapacitated" if they voluntarily become intoxicated.
This loophole in our laws needs to be closed immediately. We must protect victims of sexual assault and that's why I am proud to be a coauthor of HF 707/HF 2502. The bill will ensure that those victims who are voluntarily intoxicated are considered “mentally incapacitated” and are protected by Minnesota's laws.
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Road closures
MnDOT is preparing to resurface I-94 between Maple Grove and Albertville. The project will begin in mid-April and will last several weeks.
Travel between Maple Grove and Rogers will be impacted starting the evening of Monday, April 19. Drivers will have three lanes of traffic in both directions of I-94 during the day, but there will be intermittent nighttime lane closures. The lane changes will last through September.
This weekend projects between St. Michael and Albertville will commence. On Sunday evening, April 11, lane shifts will be in place after the Wright Co. Rd. 37 bridge and before the Crow River. These lane shifts will be in place through June. The ramp from Hwy 241 to westbound I-94 will be closed from Monday, April 12 through Monday, April 19.
To learn more about these projects, including information on detours, visit the I-94 Maple Grove to Clearwater project page on MnDOT's website.
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Helpful links
MN Legislature Food Drive: The Members and Staff of the Minnesota House and Senate are holding a Food Drive. We are partnering with Second Harvest Heartland and other Feeding America food banks across the state to raise $5,000. To learn more and to donate, visit our fundraising page here.
Osseo/Maple Grove Food Drive: American Legion Post 172 is holding a food and clothing drive tomorrow, April 10 from 8am - noon. More information can be found on my Facebook page here.
Spring Cleaning? You can recycle/reuse your Legos! One of my daughters LOVED legos and we had a lot! 😊If you are looking to get rid of your Legos this spring, click the picture below.
Photos
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Please Contact Me
Many of you have already been in touch to discuss your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Please continue to contact me to discuss any matters to which I can be of assistance.
During the continuing COVID restrictions, the best way to reach me is by email: rep.kristin.robbins@house.mn. You can also leave a voicemail on my office number, 651-296-7806, which is checked a couple of times/day.
Have a great weekend!
Kristin
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225 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.7806 |
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