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State Representative Tony Cornish
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4240
For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317
NEWS RELEASE
CORNISH DOES NOT SUPPORT CURRENT VERSION OF TWINS STADIUM BILL
ST. PAUL – Based on reaction he’d been hearing throughout his district, State Representative Tony Cornish (R-Good Thunder) did not support legislation in the Minnesota House that would construct a new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins.
“I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me and said ‘vote no’ on the stadiums,” Cornish said. “I think people are tired that the rules can be changed for billionaire businessmen in the Twin Cities.”
Most of the $522 million Twins ballpark would be financed by an increase in the Hennepin county sales tax. Cornish said that with this vote, the Minnesota House basically allowed Hennepin County to ignore state law, which requires a local government to let the voters decide if they want their taxes increased in order to build a public project – like a stadium.
“I guarantee you that if one of my district’s city councils wanted to build a community center by increasing the local sales tax, and asked the legislature to waive the referendum law, they would be denied,” Cornish said. “What’s fair and just for one local government should be the same for every local government. If not, then we need to change our laws.”
Cornish added that he is trying to change state laws so farmers aren’t unfairly taxed through the school referendum process. Because farmers own the bulk of the property, they often see their property taxes skyrocket if a referendum passes. This creates the unenviable decision of voting to keep their lower tax rates or furnishing a school for some deserving kids.
“How can I tell the farmers that I can't get $26 million for them and the kids, but we can give hundreds of millions to billionaire owners and millionaire players?" Cornish wondered. “I’m all for saving the Minnesota Twins, but it’s not fair to pick winners and losers – and that’s exactly what the Minnesota House did with this stadium legislation.”
"What if Mankato decides to come to us to tax the citizens of Mankato, without a vote, for the new hotel being proposed there?” Cornish asked. “Are the same legislators who set the precedent by voting for the Twins stadium going to vote for this idea? It's fine as long as it someone else's governing body, but what if it was yours?"
Cornish wonders how lawmakers will justify saying "no" in the future to Mankato or any other local government now that they have voted in favor of Hennepin County’s proposal.
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