My Dear Community,
Part of being a member of the nation's only politically-split legislature is trying to get the Republican-led Senate to come to the negotiating table on our House budget, a comprehensive, inclusive plan to lift up our communities by investing in the things that will allow people to work, live, raise a family, and have opportunities to succeed.
Now that the House has passed our budget, and the Senate has passed theirs, we have to come together in conference committees to reconcile our differences. If you've opened the paper or flipped on the news recently, you've probably seen that it's an uphill battle.
Taxes
As a member of the Taxes committee this session, I've passionately advocated for a more fair tax system that ends the lie of trickle-down economics. Our House tax bill holds corporations accountable for using tax loopholes to get out of paying their fair share.
I've been appointed to the conference committee tasked with negotiating our tax plan with the Senate.
A joint House/Senate taxes hearing for which the Republicans did not show up
Our bill, House File 2125 raises the standard deduction to $24,400 for married and $12,200 for single people, which will cut taxes by $134 million for almost two million people. It contains significant investments in the Working Family Credit that will provide $80 million in tax cuts to over 380,000 working parents, grandparents, and individuals. It also cuts taxes on Social Security benefits for 200,000 senior citizens.
As budget negotiations at the Legislature ramp up, we need to call on the Senate to make a choice about the world we want to live in - one that makes things easier for the people at the top, or one that takes care of the families and working people across our state who are struggling to make ends meet.
As the Star Tribune wrote in an editorial this week, we were not elected to pit sick people against schoolchildren.
If you're looking to follow along, the committee schedules are always public and posted online here. We need to urge the Senate to prioritize our schools, our homes, our healthcare, our roads, and our families, not give tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy.
Have a great weekend, and be well.
Aisha Gomez |