Dear Friends,
It’s a beautiful, warm Friday afternoon and the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee has just passed its omnibus bill to the Ways and Means Committee.
If you want to get something done in the Minnesota House, you have to know the rules. The rules are designed to make the process transparent and accessible to all. But when you come to the legislature you soon learn that the rules don’t always matter: too often, what matters is really influence (often called “relationships”). Now there’s nothing wrong with relationships, but skipping the rules in favor of influence means that people without influence (i.e. most people—the public) have little chance to have their interests protected.
In the Minnesota House, the session is already notable for lack of transparency. One small example is in the bill just passed today.
A couple of weeks ago the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, who represents St. Cloud, had a hearing on a bill in the HHS Reform Committee. He explained that he was bringing the bill for a constituent who needed a raise in the rates the state pays for subsidized child care. The state pays only 25% of the average rate in each county. As you may imagine, such low rates mean many providers can’t afford to help these children. Legislators in both parties talk about this problem a lot, and about their desire to raise the rates and help all the families who qualify—since this help is essential for many parents to be able to work or get an education. St. Cloud straddles three counties, so this powerful legislator wanted all providers in St. Cloud to receive the highest pay rate of the three counties.
Another legislator—whose bill on the subject did not get a committee hearing--tried to amend the bill to increase child care rates all over the state and asked for a roll call vote. Rather than allow the vote, the legislator withdrew his bill from consideration and stormed out of the hearing saying, ““I have other ways that I can get this language enacted.”
Lo and behold, last night his language appeared in the HHS Finance Bill without having had a hearing. The bill will cost $58,000 in fiscal 17, then $900,000 over the next two years.
This is what sometimes makes the legislature such a frustrating place.
Visits this Week
Even as I’ve been deep in working on the HHS Finance bill this week, I had many delightful visits from constituents. SEIU members, teachers, library supporters, pediatricians, and social work students all came to see me and have a voice in their government. I’m so touched and heartened by hearing the concerns of my constituents and seeing your passion for helping your fellow Minnesotan and trying to make sure our state works for all. Many of you sacrifice a lot to do that. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Tax Day is Monday, April 18
A big THANK YOU to all Minnesotans who pay your taxes and make our state work….
Don’t Forget your Property Tax Refund or Renter’s Credit
Don’t forget to file for your Renter’s Property Tax or Homestead Credit Refund. To see if you qualify, take a look at the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s Instruction Guide. The forms can be accessed here.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue also has information available on filing for free on their website. If you want to file yourself and wonder if you qualify for free electronic filing products or you want assistance from a free tax preparation site, visit this page.
The IRS also has free filing information available on their website. On the homepage of their website under the banner “Hot Topics” you will see a link entitled “Get Free Tax Preparation Help” or “Free File Tax Software”.
Tax Tips
The 2016 income tax filing season ends at midnight on Monday, April 18, so you have a few extra days to file this year. Emancipation Day - a holiday in the District of Columbia - is being observed on Friday, April 15, pushing back the official filing day to the next business day – Monday, April 18. If you have not filed yet, the Minnesota Department of Revenue offers these tips to help taxpayers:
- E-file and choose direct deposit - the most secure and convenient way to file your taxes and get your refund.
- Enter your name and any dependents names exactly as they appear on Social Security cards. Incorrect names or Social Security numbers can result in refund delays.
- Double-check bank routing and account numbers used on tax forms for direct deposit. Incorrect account numbers can delay your refund.
- Complete each form and carry totals to the correct lines. If you file electronically file, the calculations are automatically done for you.
- Do not staple or use paperclips on your paper return. Staples and paperclips on tax returns need to be removed by hand and can slow down processing.
- If you move after filing your return, contact us right away so anything sent to you will reach you, such as refund checks or requests for more information. You should do this even when requesting a direct deposit. Call us at 651-296-3781 or 1-800-652-9094 (toll-free) to change your address.
File your return by the April 18, 2016 due date, even if you owe more than you can pay. Pay as much as you can by the due date and contact the Minnesota Dept. of Revenue as soon as possible to set up a payment plan for the remaining balance. Acting quickly can help to minimize any late payment penalties. For more information about making your payment electronically, visit the Minnesota Department of Revenue website.
For more individual income tax filing tips, check out the Minnesota Department of Revenue Weekly Tax Tip video series.
As always, please contact me with your comments, questions, and concerns.
Warmly,
Tina