ST. PAUL – When Minnesota lawmakers return to St. Paul following their Easter/Passover break, State Representative Greg Davids (R-Preston) said one of the top items on their to-do list will be breaking down Governor Dayton’s supplemental budget proposal.
“We will give Governor Dayton’s plan a full and fair hearing once the language is drafted,” said Davids, who chairs the powerful Minnesota House Taxes Committee. “From what I’ve seen so far, it contains some good and some unacceptable provisions.”
Davids said he is pleased the governor recognizes the need for Minnesota to switch from federal taxable income to federal adjusted gross income, something most other states utilize. In addition, he appreciates the governor’s willingness to provide funding to help deputy registrars hurt by the MNLARS disaster.
But Davids is concerned the governor’s plan includes more than a billion dollars in proposed tax increases and fee increases on DMV visits to pay for fixes to the failed MNLARS system.
“We have a $329 million surplus because of the 2017 bipartisan tax bill, and the governor proposes a$1.4 billion in tax increase,” Davids said. “Minnesotans have already overpaid so we don’t need to put that increased tax burden on Minnesotans and we will not.”
Davids said the Minnesota House will also unveil its proposal in the coming weeks.