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State Representative Sarah Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5511
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Tax Bill is Missing Key Tax Benefits
To the Editor:
The Legislature passed a major tax bill last week containing many good provisions that extend federal tax benefits to state income taxpayers. I supported the bill because I believe it is in the best interests of my constituents. It will provide several tax benefits for veterans including lower property taxes for disabled veterans and reduced rates for nonprofits like VFWs and American Legions. It will also allow current National Guard members to exclude income earned during out-of-state training and border patrol service.
While those tax benefits are certainly good and well-deserved, I think the bill would have been better if it covered federal tax conformity that would give tax breaks for college tuition expenses, classroom expenses for teachers, and depreciation for small businesses. Last year I supported an amendment to extend federal tax conformity to these items, however, it failed. I will continue to advocate for this change.
The original version of this bill proposed re-instating mortgage and deed tax increases in Hennepin County. Because this tax would add costs to consumers in an already struggling housing market, I supported an amendment removing this tax increase. I also supported an amendment to remove an increase in utility fees on consumers living outside of cities like Red Wing and Monticello, both of which are home to power plants. With Minnesotans already feeling the pinch of higher gas prices, higher food prices and the oncoming effects of new tax increases, I felt it would be wrong for the government to raise utility costs via higher taxes.
Thankfully, both of these tax increases were taken out of the bill, which earned bipartisan support. I am pleased that we were able to pass along important tax benefits to taxpayers, especially veterans. I hope that in future years we can win enough support to pass them for teachers and business owners as well.
Sincerely,
Sarah Anderson
State Representative
Plymouth & Medicine Lake
News Items
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- Welcome to the 2012 Session - (Posted: 2012-01-31 00:00:00)
- REDISTRICTING ORGANIZATION TO WITHHOLD MAP FROM PUBLIC SCRUTINY - (Posted: 2011-10-14 00:00:00)
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