House DFL: Transportation funding needs to be statewide, long-term solution

Lawmakers need to find a middle ground for funding a statewide, long-term solution to fix the state’s roads and bridges, House Minority Leader Paul Thissen (DFL-Mpls) said during a Friday media availability.

House Republicans offer “nothing of a bill” while Senate DFLers propose a bonding bill that is “too rich from my perspective,” Thissen said.

“I am concerned about the very significant amount of bonding they are putting in that bill,” he added. “I don’t believe that it should primarily involve General Fund and I don’t believe it should primarily involve borrowing. I think we should actually put a proposal together that’s going to actually invest in our roads and bridges and our transit system.”

If what shakes out in the end is a bill that doesn’t pit regions of the state against each other and solves transportation issues in the long-term, “you could expect the House Democrats to put up their proportionate share of the votes to pass that kind of a bill. That’s the kind of bipartisan lawmaking that Minnesotan’s are interested in,” Thissen added.

House Republicans did not have a Friday media availability.

On Thursday, the House passed HF6 that would conform the state tax code to the federal code for the 2014 tax year. Sponsored by Rep. Greg Davids (R-Preston), the bill, passed 129-0, awaits action in the Senate, where Sen. Rod Skoe (DFL-Clearbrook) is the sponsor.

“I think it’s important that we bring the same urgency to the next bill that’s coming down the line, which is the flood assistance bill and our deficiency bill,” Thissen said.

Looking ahead to next week, Thissen criticized the Republican’s proposed tax cuts in HF1, which is scheduled for a hearing Jan. 22 in the House Greater Minnesota Economic and Workforce Development Policy Committee.

Sponsored by Rep. Ron Kresha (R-Little Falls), the bill includes a series of proposed tax credits aimed at spurring job creation. A New Market Tax Credit would create special incentives for investment in the manufacturing, timber, mining and high-tech sectors. Other provisions would expand the research and development tax credit and would provide a 10 percent exclusion of S-corporation pass-through income from state income taxes.

The cuts would help businesses and corporations while not directly helping the employees whose wages have stagnated, Thissen said. “I would like to see some additional money put into property tax relief.” He also supports a proposed child care tax credit in lieu of credits to businesses and corporations.