Accessibility menu
State Representative Pam Myhra
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4212
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Legislative Update (April 30, 2013)
Dear Friend,
Here is a quick update on the omnibus bill activity last week in the Minnesota House of Representatives:
The Omnibus Tax bill, House Fill 677, which I opposed, raises an additional $2.6+ billion dollars in taxes on hard-working Minnesotans in part by:
- Raising the top income tax rate to 12.49% with a "temporary" income surcharge. (This increase rivals California for the highest rate. http://taxes.about.com/od/statetaxes/a/highest-state-income-tax-rates.htm )
- Adding a 4th tier, 8.49%, income tax bracket
- Lowering the income thresholds for the 7.05% and 7.85% income tax brackets
- Increasing alcohol tax
- Increasing cigarette tax from 48 cents to $2.83 a pack
- Eliminating the charitable contribution deduction and replacing it with a non-refundable credit
The Omnibus Health and Human Services bill, House File 1233, which I opposed, impacts hospitals unevenly and requires more unfunded mandates. The bill will lead to cost-shifting to private payers thereby making health care more expensive for consumers. Instead of funding nursing homes and senior living centers, this bill puts more money into the Department of Human Services and wastes taxpayer dollars on duplicative programs.
The Omnibus Education bill, House File 630, which I opposed, spends too much money on new offices and centers instead of prioritizing spending to improve student achievement. The bill spends an additional $105 million on full-day kindergarten even though all the studies presented in committee on full-day kindergarten showed no lasting academic gains past the third grade and continuing achievement gaps that for the most part increased over time. The bill also contains language eliminating the reading, writing, and math GRAD requirement to earn a high school diploma.
The Omnibus Transportation Finance bill, House File 1444, which I supported, funds roads and bridges with dedicated funds collected through existing gas taxes and does not impose any new tax increases. Transportation is a core government service required by the Minnesota Constitution.
All of these bills passed the House and are now in conference committee with the Senate.
My 2013 legislative survey is now posted on my House webpage. I encourage you to fill it out and provide feedback on issues before the legislature.
As always, please feel free to contact me with your comments or concerns.
Sincerely yours,
Pam
Representative Pam Myhra
House District 56A
News Items
- Legislative Update (May 16, 2013) - (Posted: May 16 2013 1:49PM)
- Legislative Update (April 30, 2013) - (Posted: Apr 30 2013 5:06PM)
- Legislative Update (April 22, 2013) - (Posted: Apr 22 2013 4:34PM)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.