By a vote of 129 to 0, the Minnesota House approved its first bill of the 2015 session and it contained a number of provisions that provide real tax relief to hardworking Minnesotans.
Our tax conformity bill allows Minnesota to match its tax code to some of the federal tax changes made since 2013. In total, this bill provides $19.9 million in immediate tax relief to hardworking Minnesotans for the recently concluded tax year, including deductions for items such as higher education tuition, teacher expenses, and mortgage insurance premiums. Literally tens of thousands of Minnesotans are going to benefit from this legislation.
The reason for the urgency of this tax conformity bill is that income tax season is upon us. Without quick approval, Minnesotans who file their income taxes early with the IRS could be forced to file amended returns. Department of Revenue officials told us we could avoid this problem by having the bill signed into law before January 20, so I’m hopeful the Senate and Governor’s Office will quickly follow our lead.
While tax conformity was the first bill approved on the House floor, it was not among the first five bills that were introduced in 2015. Typically the majority party uses the first few bills to show the public what they plan to prioritize during the legislative session, and this year was no exception.
As an assistant majority leader, I was pleased to provide input on our top priorities this year and look forward to discussing our top five bills as they move through the committee process over the next few weeks.
The proposals include growing better-paying jobs; giving every child a world-class education; protecting the quality of life for our aging residents; refocusing some of our budget dollars towards road and bridge repair; and ensuring fair access and affordability in health care.
As always, I am interested in your feedback. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at Rep.Kathy.Lohmer@House.MN or contact my office at 651-296-4244. You can also send mail to my office address: 501 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Have a great week!