Dear Neighbors,
It was a busy week in St. Paul as we wrapped up debate and voted on all but one of the DFL’s omnibus finance bills. While there were provisions in each of these bills that I would support on their own merits, the sum of each bill simply did not do enough to convince me to vote “yes”.
The common theme across most bills was a desire to raise taxes and create more regulations despite a $4 billion state budget surplus. In a year where so many families and businesses have struggled, Minnesotans simply can’t afford new tax increases.
I fought hard during debate to get amendments added to bills that would provide much-needed relief for businesses and families. This included pushing for a full exemption of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from state taxes and doing my best to block tax increases on Minnesotans.
Thankfully, I was able to get an amendment added to the Workforce bill that provides some workforce training for restaurants.
Despite this, I was still frustrated to see bills come before the House that did little to assist businesses. We should be working to help Minnesotans and businesses instead of pushing more mandates and regulations on employers as so many are struggling to survive.
I am hopeful that these bills will return to the House much improved following negotiations with the Senate and that I will be able to support them on final passage sometime in May.
Please continue to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you have. I’m so proud to represent the amazing people of Kandiyohi County!
Have a great weekend,
Dave