ST. PAUL, MN—The Minnesota House adjourned Sunday evening, officially concluding the 2016 legislative session. The House and Senate passed several bills, including more than half a billion dollars in permanent, middle-class tax relief and historic tax breaks for Minnesota's veterans.
The following provisions, authored by Rep. Anna Wills (R-Rosemount), were included in the tax bill and supplemental budget bill.
-Making the first $100,000 of business property exempt from property tax (this is a variation of a bill Rep. Wills authored)
-Extending a tax credit or subtraction for contributions to a 529 College Savings Plan
-Extending tax exemption for non-profits, such as 4H, at events from 5 days to 10
-Requiring the Minnesota Department of Education to post criteria on their website for non-profits applying for a food and nutrition program
-A $69,000 funding allocation for hearing-impaired preschool students to attend the Metro Deaf School
-Changes to the Manufactured Home Trust Fund, including an increase in benefit payouts to those forced to move their manufactured home
"For the past two sessions we have made a very conscious effort to focus on what we know are priorities for Minnesotans of all ages and walks of life," said Rep. Anna Wills (R- Rosemount). "This session built on our achievements from last year, including a historic investment in education, and reforms to improve housing options, care, and quality-of-life for our seniors. Our tax reforms will let middle-class families and individuals keep more of their hard-earned money, including young families, college graduates with loan debt, and our veterans. We made some great progress this year, and Minnesotans will see the benefits of that."
The Minnesota House also passed a bonding bill with $696.5 million in funding for roads and bridges on a bipartisan vote of 91 to 39. In a political maneuver, the Senate DFL majority failed to pass the bonding bill and prevented $4 million of funding from going to the Minnesota Zoo, as well as transportation projects throughout the state.
"I'm really disappointed that Senate Democrats decided to play a political game, and go back on an agreement that would have benefited so many communities across the state in significant ways." said Rep. Wills. "They chose funding for SouthWest Light Rail over a $700 million investment in transportation infrastructure. The House bonding bill had broad bipartisan support in the House, and it's unfortunate that Senate leadership chose to push Minnesotans into a corner over light rail. I hope that Governor Dayton will call a special session in the near future, so we can pass our agreed upon bonding bill, which benefits the vast majority of Minnesotans and responsibly invests in transportation infrastructure."
Both the House tax bill and supplemental budget proposal await Governor Dayton's signature.
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