ST. PAUL – Breaking a promise he had made in May, Governor Mark Dayton has vetoed a tax relief bill that would have benefited hundreds of thousands of middle class Minnesotans and provided disaster relief to the City of Madelia. State Representative Tony Cornish (R-Vernon Center) said he was discouraged by the governor’s action.
“After a fire devastated Madelia’s Main Street, I joined community leaders in welcoming Governor Dayton to the city,” Cornish said. “I sat three seats away from him when he said that he and his staff would do everything possible to help the town recover. Now he has left Madelia hanging.”
Along with the $1.2 million dedication for the City of Madelia, Cornish highlighted the other provisions that will not become law thanks to Governor Dayton’s veto:
•$90.6 million in tax relief for Minnesota farmers.
•$110 million in tax relief for college graduates paying off student loans
•$49 million in tax relief for families who contribute to 529 plans to save for their children's college costs.
•$146 million in tax relief for every small business in Minnesota
•$13 million in tax relief for Minnesota veterans
•$150 million in tax relief for working families by expanding the working family tax credit.
•$32 million to reduce the cost of childcare by expanding the childcare tax credit
•Federal conformity provisions that allow Minnesotans to deduct higher education tuition expenses, mortgage insurance premiums, classroom expenses for teachers, charitable giving (for seniors), and more.
Cornish said the compromise tax plan received a staggering 89 percent legislative approval, passing 123-10 in the House and 55-12 in the Senate. Yet Governor Dayton vetoed it despite agreement from Republicans to make two changes he requested to fix a drafting error and restore a small sales tax exemption.
“It is truly a shame that the governor is more interested in scoring political points than doing what is right for the people of Minnesota,” Cornish said. “The people of Madelia don’t deserve this, and neither do hardworking, middle class residents who’ve been overpaying their state government for years.”