ST. PAUL, MN—The Minnesota House adjourned sine die Sunday evening, officially concluding the 2016 legislative session. The House and Senate passed several bills, including more than half a billion dollars in permanent, middle-class tax relief and historic tax breaks for Minnesota's veterans.
"These past two years we have passed meaningful reforms for Minnesotans at all stages of life." said Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen (R-Glencoe). "Building on our accomplishments from last session, our reforms this year spanned all generations, including a historic investment in education, as well as legislation to improve quality-of-life and care for our elderly. Our tax reforms will put money back into the pockets of families with young children, college students graduating with loan debt, our veteran community, and farmers."
The Minnesota House also passed a bonding bill with $696.5 million in funding for roads and bridges on a bipartisan vote of 91 to 39. In a political maneuver, the Senate DFL majority failed to pass the bonding bill and prevented funding from going to the following project that would benefit state House District 18B:
•U.S. Highway 212 Interchange project
"Senate Democrats made it abundantly clear where their priorities lie, and it isn't with Greater Minnesota," said Rep. Gruenhagen. "Road and bridge funding throughout the state was sacrificed on the altar of SouthWest Light Rail, a project that costs Minnesota's taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars per mile. The U.S. Highway 212 Interchange project, an important step forward that will help the flow of traffic heading to and from Glencoe, was put on hold because Senate Democrats went back on their word to House Leadership. They put the needs of Minnesotans on the back-burner to play a political game. This is inexcusable."
Both the House tax bill and supplemental budget proposal await Governor Dayton's signature.
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