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Minnesota House of Representatives

State Representative Kelby Woodard

221 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7065

For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520

Posted: Mar 8 2013 12:00AM
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

GOVERNOR CONCEDES … TAXES DO INDEED HAVE CONSEQUENCES

Dear Neighbor,

As a reminder I will be co-hosting three town hall meetings with Sen. Kevin Dahle this Saturday, March 9th. I hope to see you there! Our schedule is as follows:

  • 10 a.m.: Belle Plaine Public Library (125 W Main St.)
  • 11:30 a.m.: LeSueur Public Library (118 Ferry St.)
  • 1 p.m.: LeCenter City Hall (10 W Tyrone St.)

The big news from the Capitol this week is that the governor has backed off of his proposal to create a new business to business sales tax that would have had a devastating impact on our business climate in Minnesota. In his remarks to the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce this morning, Gov. Dayton acknowledged that these taxes would have a negative impact on job opportunities and indicted that he would no longer be pursuing this new tax. I agree, governor … taxes do indeed have consequences.

 

While this is good news for Main Street Minnesotans and Main Street Minnesota businesses, the DFL majorities did vote to endorse all of the governor’s tax increases a little over a week ago on the House floor. They also continue to hear bills that would increase the tax on beer, wine, and liquor by 350 percent (see Section 3 here), increase the gas tax by $.095 a gallon, increase vehicle registration fees, and the list goes on.

 

They have also not let up on increasing taxes on goods and services we all use like haircuts, ATM fees, and winter coats, etc., etc., etc.

 

The House and Senate both passed legislation to form a health insurance exchange in Minnesota this week as well. This new exchange will force lowest income Minnesotans in to healthcare plans that offer less choice, cost more, and offer no privacy protections.

 

When questioned about the limits in choice the exchange would provide to low income Minnesotans, members of the DFL caucus compared choice in healthcare to “choices in soup.”

 

Here is a brief video which reveals this amazing contrast in our opinions regarding consumer choices during the debate on the House floor this week.

 

Gov. Dayton also called the plan crafted exclusively by fellow Democrats as “a big gamble” during an MPR interview this week. Here is a Star Tribune article with further perspective on the Democrat’s Health Exchange plan including my thoughts on why it is bad for Minnesotans.

 

I continue to fight to insist that the money we put toward education ends up where it belongs: in the classroom where we know we can have the most positive impact on our kids. Here is an article which includes a few interesting facts on how the money being put toward K-12 education is not being used to that end.

 

Hope to see you on Saturday!

 

Warm regards,

Kelby

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