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State Representative Linda Slocum
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7158
For more information contact: Joan Nichols 651-29X-XXXX
Column/LTE
Making The Right Investment in Our State
Dear Editor,
This week, I joined other Legislators to override the Governor's veto on the transportation bill. This bill is a comprehensive, balanced, and fiscally responsible plan to address our transportation and transit needs. This is a welcomed initiative to begin mending our broken transportation system.
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce supported the Legislature's initiative to develop a balanced approach to transportation investment by using bonding as well as new revenues that will replace aging roads and fracture critical bridges as well as expand the statewide transit system.
The bill raises the gas tax for the first time in twenty years and imposes other new fees and taxes. A 2-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase will be initiated immediately, an additional 3 cents added in October, and an increase, up to another 3.5 cents over five years will be used to repay state borrowing. The transportation investment provided in this bill will invest $6.6 billion in revenue over the next ten years to deliver safer road and bridge conditions, create 33,000 jobs annually for the next five years, and provide property tax relief.
My one regret with this bill is that we were unable to expand the transit-taxing district to the entire seven-county metro area. Simple fairness demands that all metro counties that share in the benefits of transit should fairly share the cost. I applaud a special provision that provides a $25 tax credit to lower-income taxpayers to help them offset the impact of the gas tax increase.
Passing this bill was a bipartisan effort to ensure greater highway safety, bridge integrity, transit improvement, business efficiency and jobs. Together, we are moving Minnesota forward by making the right investments in our state and communities.
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