Dear Friends,
I wanted to provide you with an update on today's special session.
Today, the legislature voted overwhelmingly to provide $4.5 million in matching disaster relief aid for the 18 counties included in the Presidential Disaster Declaration from the storms in June 2013.
McLeod and Sibley County both were hit hard by these storms and will receive portions of the disaster aid. I was proud to join my colleagues in approving this critical with strong bipartisan support. The vote was 127-1, with all Republicans voting yes.
Unfortunately, the legislature neglected to take up additional legislation, including bills to fix the various tax mistakes made by Democrats.
There have been bipartisan calls for the repeal of the warehousing tax, which begins in April, as well as the commercial equipment repair tax that impacts just about every industry in the state. Ultimately, no agreement was reached, and the taxes remained on the books hurting Minnesota businesses and families.
I hope the legislature will revisit these damaging taxes, as well as the other misguided business-to-business taxes when session begins again next February. It's critical that we fix the mistakes that are hurting farmers, loggers, miners, and the pocketbooks of Minnesotans everywhere.
Have a great rest of your week,
Glenn