Greetings from the Capitol,
Another busy week at the Capitol wrapped up last night with a bipartisan vote in the House to repeal several harmful business-to-business taxes. These taxes include a telecommunications tax, warehousing storage tax and a sales tax on commercial and farm equipment repairs—all part of the historic $2.1 billion tax increase passed during the 2013 session.
In addition to tax repeals, the bill passed on Thursday also conforms Minnesota’s tax code to some federal provisions, providing hardworking taxpayers key financial deductions on their state income taxes. I, along with my colleagues, pushed for federal conformity last year and am glad to see it finally being passed in the House. It will not only make filing your returns easier, but leaves more money in your pocket for expenses like groceries and daycare. However, the marriage penalty for 2013 was not repealed.
If the governor signs these tax repeals into law, it would be great news for Minnesota families, taxpayers and job creators.
More still could have been done, however, if we increased the Standard Deduction for married joint filers and increased the Eligible Expense Limits for Dependent Care Credit. Those amendments would have saved working families an additional $200 a year.
The next stop for this legislation is the Minnesota Senate, and I hope they follow suit and send the bill to Governor Dayton for signature. Tax deadlines are fast approaching, and some may need to file amended returns. The warehousing tax will be officially implemented in April if nothing is done. The legislature and governor owe it to the people to remedy last year’s mistakes and place these tax code changes into law.
As you know, I am a strong supporter of veterans and am pleased to announce that a bill I authored, House File 2478, passed the State Government Finance and Veterans Affair Committee with strong bipartisan support on Wednesday. The bill provides training for law enforcement on crisis de-escalation techniques to use on Minnesota veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Veterans have done a wonderful job of serving our nation, and it is so important that we understand assimilating back into civilian life is not always easy.
Teaching police proven methods to de-escalate situations for veterans experiencing PTSD is so crucial for not only the well being of veterans, but the safety of law enforcement as well. Resolving a dangerous situation without further violence or even arrest can be achieved with proper training.
As we complete the second week of session, I continue to fight for your interests in St. Paul. If I can ever be of assistance to you on a matter of state government, or you have ideas on how to make our state better, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for letting me be your voice at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Tim
Fun Factoid: On March 7th, 1876 Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for the telephone.