Dear Friends,
I wanted to pass along an update on lottery revenue for our area. Each year, the Minnesota Department of Revenue calculates the amount of revenue generated from lottery sales in each city and county.
The 2013 county sales totals are as follows: Mille Lacs $3.76 million; Sherburne $7.28 million; Kanabec $1.23 million. Broken down by city, the sales totals are $23,235 in Bock, $331,098 in Isle, $929,682 in Milaca, $250,900 in Ogilve, $484,203 in Onamia, $1,786,459 in Princeton, $99,545 in Wahkon, and $1,076,391 in Zimmerman.
The proceeds from lottery sales are spelled out in state law. The state General Fund receives 60 percent of proceeds. The remaining 40 percent of proceeds goes to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. In addition, the first 6.5 percent of Lottery sales (in-lieu-of-sales tax) is directed to the Game and Fish Fund, Natural Resources Fund and General Fund.
There's also a benefit to our locally owned stores as well. According to the lottery office, retailers earn 5.5 percent of the price of every ticket they sell plus 1 percent of the prize value of winning tickets redeemed at the store. They are also eligible to earn more through various incentive programs offered throughout the year.
Tax Bill passed
On Friday the House passed a tax bill to undo some of the mistakes made by Democrats last session. After raising $2.1 billion in tax increases, Democrats have now backtracked and admitted that the increases they passed were a mistake. Friday's bill repealed the three deeply unpopular business-to-business taxes; the warehousing tax, the telecommunications tax, and the tax on the repair of commercial machinery. The bill also conformed much of Minnesota's tax code to the federal code, restoring important tax breaks for families filing their taxes.
If you have already filed your taxes, the Revenue Department will automatically review your return to ensure you receive the deductions you are eligible for.
With several hundred million dollars of surplus dollars left, I will continue to support efforts to eliminate other tax mistakes made by Democrats in 2013. The surplus belongs to the taxpayers -- not to government.
Visitors
Thanks to everyone from District 15A that stopped by to visit last week. It's always great to welcome constituents, former students and other visitors to St. Paul. People visit for a wide variety of reasons in support or opposition to a wide variety of issues. I welcome all visitors, and encourage you to schedule a meeting if you're planning on coming to St. Paul in the near future for a personal visit or with a group. You can reach my office by calling 651-296-6746 or emailing rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn.
Have a great week,
Sondra Erickson
State Representative, District 15A