Dear Neighbor,
At a time when it appears bipartisanship is becoming lost in an era of polarized politics, the House on Tuesday showed how good work can be done by approving – without opposition – a veterans and military affairs finance package.
The bill (H.F. 1937) provides $367.7 million for programs to help veterans over the 2024-25 biennium, a $167 million (52%) increase. This includes $73.3 million for the Dept. of Military Affairs and $294.3 million for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. This includes operational funding for three new veterans homes constructed in in our state.
House Republicans successfully added numerous provisions to the bill. This includes expanding the eligibility for free burial in Minnesota state Veterans cemeteries to spouses and dependent children of Veterans and Service Members who die on active duty, prohibiting the MDVA from charging burial fees, and authorizing Support Our Troops funds as an eligible use.
The bill also expands the Veteran Bonus program to veterans who currently live in Minnesota, even though they may not have lived in the state when they enlisted, as well as veterans who served in the Inherent Resolve Military campaign. Additional funding for veteran bonuses also is included in the package.
Democrats approve transportation tax increases
Many Minnesotans are struggling to pay the bills and state government has a $19 billion state budget surplus, but House Democrats went ahead this week and approved a transportation bill this week which raises related taxes by more than $7 billion the next four years.
This includes a 75-cent delivery tax (Amazon, DoorDash, etc.), license tab fee increases, motor vehicle sales tax increase and more. The majority’s appetite to continue raising transportation-related taxes – despite a historic surplus – was enough for me to vote against this bill.
Democrats cannot curb their constant appetite to spend more of your money on the Met Council’s transit boondoggles. This bill puts $194 million toward a passenger train to Duluth and $4 million to study adding implementing a passenger train to Fargo and extending the Northstar Commuter train to St Cloud – even as ridership continues falling for existing lines.
E-pull tabs threatened
House Democrat legislation would effectively end electronic pull tabs as we know them, dramatically reducing revenue generated for local charities and other organizations.
Language in the majority’s omnibus tax bill (H.F. 1938) eliminates the “open all” feature that has been in use in electronic pull-tab games for years. This move would diminish charitable gaming funds these popular games produce, compromising a critical revenue source for local charities ranging from veteran organizations to youth sports teams, Main Street business partners and beyond.
Electronic pull tabs are important to people in our district, whether they are working with local organizations or benefit from the services these groups provide. There are five groups in Grand Rapids alone that generate proceeds through electronic pull tabs and for the Democrats to diminish this crucial source of revenue would be very damaging to communities.
Electronic pull tabs generated almost $2 billion in revenue during 2022 alone that was then invested into communities. Without this critical revenue stream, many of the charitable efforts Minnesotans currently benefit from would not be possible.
In addition to the local organizations, electronic pull tabs have benefitted bars, restaurants and other establishments as these businesses try to weather a tough economy and recoup losses suffered during the pandemic. It’s mind-boggling Democrats in St. Paul are threatening to make their hill to climb even steeper by undermining what’s been a popular attraction that helps get people through their doors.
I continue working with House Democrats to remove this provision from the tax bill, but it's critical that legislators hear directly from charities, bars, restaurants, service clubs, and other community organizations so they understand just how serious the consequences would be if this provision is passed. More information regarding this bill and contact information for legislators can be found at www.house.mn.gov.
Stay tuned for more from the Capitol as we continue making our way through the remaining omnibus finance bills and make our way through the final month of the 2023 session. Your input always is welcome.
Sincerely,
Ben