ST. PAUL – The Minnesota House of Representatives approved bipartisan legislation that would give more than two million Minnesotans tax relief and make up to $225 million available for Minnesota’s schools. State Representative Rod Hamilton (R- Mountain Lake) voted in favor of the bill.
“School safety and tax relief and reform are two of my top legislative priorities, so I am very pleased we moved this forward and am hopeful Governor Dayton will sign it,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton noted that more than two million people will receive a tax cut next year under this plan, and it also conforms with the federal tax relief law which will simplify things for those who are working on their income taxes next year. Besides delivering the first income tax cut in nearly 20 years, the bill also protects families by preserving a state personal and dependent exemption of $4,150; preserves the standard deduction, itemized deductions, as well as the personal and dependent exemptions; and supports hometown businesses and farmers by reinvesting extra revenue from corporate tax changes into Section 179 conformity and overall rate reductions.
The education portion of the bill makes available as much as $225 million for Minnesota schools—nearly $100 million more than Governor Dayton’s request to address school budget shortfalls. It places more money in every classroom, provides school districts with needed flexibility, and incorporates bipartisan solutions to help Minnesota students and schools.
The House also passed approximately $28 million in school safety funding in the supplemental budget, as well as $25 million toward school safety in the Capital Investment Bill.