Dear Neighbor,
Congratulations to the Brooten-Belgrade-Elrosa boys basketball team for winning a state championship last week. Impressive work, boys! It’s good to see your hard work bring results.
I have written in previous emails about how we need to do more to support workers in our long-term care industry. Those folks made great sacrifices during the Great Recession and were shortchanged on funding increases for years.
Now, it is crucial we help them catch up in wages. They provide highly valuable services and deserve to receive raises. Using funds from our projected $1.23 billion surplus to give them much-needed pay increases would not only show appreciation for their work but also could attract quality workers to this valuable profession.
The 5 Percent Bill would make this happen. This proposal would increase funding for the home and community based services and intermediate care facilities for Minnesotans with developmental disabilities. This week, House Republicans made a motion to recall that bill from committee and put it on the general register. We succeeded and now it can be put on the calendar for the day and brought up for a full House vote at any time.
This becomes even more important as we wait for a conference committee to determine how much the minimum wage will increase in Minnesota. A 5-percent increase is vital in order for these facilities to keep their doors open as the state increases their employees’ wages.
Unfortunately, majority members have been blocking this bill from reaching the House floor. Here is a brief video of me speaking in support of the 5 Percent Bill on the House floor this week.
Today, we are waiting for the Senate to act on a tax bill so the House can bring it to the floor for final consideration. The bill repeals some of last year’s tax increases and also benefits Minnesotans by matching our tax code with federal provisions so citizens can take advantage of deductions on state forms.
It is important we get this done asap since the tax filing deadline is just a few weeks away. Accountants have testified in the House that further delays will make it difficult to do their jobs on time. Citizens are concerned they may have to file amended returns if conformity is not promptly enacted. This should have been a top priority this session, so it is disappointing this business remains unfinished.
A big hangup with enacting this tax bill appears to be the proposed $90 million Senate complex. It seems to have become something of a bargaining chip in House-Senate negotiations. I do not support this project and it will be interesting to see what transpires.
If and when this bill reaches the House floor, you can anticipate some members will slap themselves on the back for cutting taxes. But, remember, this only returns to taxpayers a fraction of the $2.5 billion in increases to taxes and fees that passed last year. That’s like confiscating someone’s house and being proud for giving them a car in return.
Good luck,
Jeff