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State Representative Carly Melin
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-0172
For more information contact: Charlie Vander Aarde 651-297-8406
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HOUSE VOTES TO RAID RANGE PROPERTY TAXES
(ST. PAUL) – State Representative Carly Melin (DFL – Hibbing) reacted to a vote by the Minnesota House of Representatives to take $60 million from the Douglas J. Johnson Economic Protection Trust Fund at the IRRRB.
“I am outraged over continued Republican efforts to take money from the Range," said Melin. “This is local property tax money that is held in trust for future generations on the Iron Range.”
The Fund receives revenue from mining companies who pay a production tax in lieu of a property tax. The provision is part of the Republican-sponsored Jobs and Economic Development funding bill. If it becomes law the whole package would result in over 750 job losses across the state. “The Republicans don’t create a single job in their jobs bill,” said Melin. “It’s more like a pink slip bill that lays off hundreds of hard-working Minnesotans. Furthermore, they stole money from our Iron Range Economic Protection Fund which is dedicated to job creation to put in the state’s General Fund for an undesignated purpose.”
Melin has fought the Fund raid since it was proposed last month. “I offered an amendment in committee that would have cut local government aid to the hometowns of my colleagues who support taking our money,” explained Melin. “Republicans voted it down. The fact they will take our money but protect their own cities reeks of hypocrisy.”
The House has passed a series of budget bills this session attempting to balance Minnesota’s 2012-13 budget. “Republicans promised an all-cuts budget last fall on the campaign trail,” noted Melin. “They said we could live within our means. Instead, they have used one-time money, raided a variety of trust funds and used creative accounting to try to come up with a budget. Today’s raid is only the latest example of their acknowledgment that they can’t balance the budget without revenue. They are balancing the budget on the backs of hardworking Rangers so that they can protect the very wealthy.”
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News Items
- STATE REP. CARLY MELIN APPOINTED TO KEY HOUSE COMMITTEES NAMED VICE-CHAIR OF THE JUDICIARY FINANCE AND POLICY COMMITTEE - (Posted: Dec 20 2012 12:00AM)
- MELIN: STATE DISASTER RELIEF IS ON THE WAY - (Posted: 2012-08-24 00:00:00)
- REPRESENTATIVE MELIN AND SENATOR TOMASSONI SECURE CENTRAL IRON RANGE SANITARY SEWER DISTRICT GRANT - (Posted: 2012-07-31 00:00:00)
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