ST. PAUL, MN – Today, the Minnesota Legislature convened for a one-day Special Session to approve $4.5 million in disaster relief funding for 18 southern and central Minnesota counties damaged by storms in June. In addition, lawmakers re-appropriated funds to counties impacted by the 2013 ice storm.
The 2013 Disaster Relief Bill does not appropriate any new funds and has zero impact on the General Fund. The bill also does not provide additional funding for counties not included in a declaration area. The disaster relief bill passed in the House after initially moving through the Senate.
“While our region was not included in the disaster relief, it’s important that we stand together as one Minnesota,” said state Representative John Ward (DFL – Baxter), a co-author of the disaster relief legislation. “When Minnesotans are hit by natural disasters, we come together and answered the call to help get Minnesotans back on their feet. We saw it last year when our area was hit by flooding and we saw it again this year.”
Reps. Ward and Joe Radinovich (DFL- Crosby) co-authored a bill to repeal the tax on farm equipment repairs. The bill was not part of a special session agreement between legislative leaders and Governor Dayton and was not voted on. Republican leaders blocked a proposal introduced by DFL leaders to repeal the farm equipment tax and insisted on a larger group of tax cuts without a plan to pay for them.
“It’s disappointing that we couldn’t reach an agreement to repeal the farm equipment repair tax in the special session,” said Rep. Radinovich. “This would have been an opportunity to help farmers, many of whom have experienced significant hardship due to last year’s drought, the long winter, and wet conditions that have limited crop planting.”
According to data from the Department of Revenue, the farm equipment repair tax, which went into effect on July 1 of this year, will cost $28 million over two years. The bill would repeal that particular tax without any further adjustments because of extra reserves built into the balance budget that was passed in late May. As a result, Minnesota would preserve its first structurally balanced budget since before the Great Recession.
“It’s unfortunate that we weren’t able to reach a bipartisan agreement on the repeal of the farm equipment repair tax,” added Rep. Ward. “We accomplished a lot of great things for the people of Minnesota last session — all-day K, college tuition freeze, and property tax relief among them — and I look forward to continuing that great work next session.”
Lawmakers will reconvene next on February 25 for the 2014 legislative session.
Reps. Ward and Radinovich encourage constituents to contact them with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas on any legislative topic. Rep. Ward can be reached by phone at 651-296-4333 or by email at rep.john.ward@house.mn. Rep. Radinovich can be reach by phone at 651-296-2365 or email at rep.joe.radinovich@house.mn.