Dear Neighbors and Neighbors, It’s been another busy week in St. Paul with the 3rd committee deadline today, Friday, and several omnibus policy bills making their way to the House Floor for debate and votes. While many of the days have been long, I am as committed as ever to providing you, your family, and our community with strong and responsive representation. Thank you for your support! Monday was Tax Day and an unfortunate reminder of the nearly $10 billion in new taxes that most Minnesotans will now be paying thanks to the spending spree that we saw last year from the majority in the House and Senate. The new taxes included a gas tax increase, a new metro area sales tax, new payroll taxes that take money directly out of your paycheck, license tab fee increases, and much more. With the costs of everyday goods and services continuing to rise and the squeeze on family budgets at the top of mind for most Minnesotans, it is especially disappointing that many of last year’s tax increases are soon to take effect. If you’re feeling the pinch in your family budget, you’re not alone. According to data from Moody’s Ratings, the typical U.S. household is paying $1,069 more a month to purchase the same goods and services it did 3 years ago before the inflation crisis began. In total, inflation is up nearly 19% from where it was in January of 2021. These economic realities coupled with the $10 billion in new taxes from last year mean that Minnesotans are hurting. In an effort to address these rising costs and to lower your tax burden, I have signed onto several bills here in the House including: - House File 5070: repeals the transportation-related tax increases that were passed last year including the delivery tax, metro area sales tax, and more.
- House File 4349: expands the dependent care credit.
- House File 3111: reduces the costs of vehicle tab fees.
- House File 3263: temporarily pauses the state’s gas tax.
As a member of the House Taxes Committee, I have seen firsthand the amount of taxes that have been pushed through the legislature in the last year and a half. I am committed to working to lower the tax burden on Minnesota families, make sure that state government lives within its means, and support family budgets by making life less expensive. |