Dear Neighbors,
The 2018 legislative session ended late Sunday night with the passage of both a tax/education bill and a supplemental finance bill. Both of these pieces of legislation represented compromise positions from the House in an effort to ensure Governor Dayton would sign the bills into law.
Unfortunately, for reasons hard to understand, the governor vetoed both bills yesterday—an act that will have a widespread, negative impact on millions of Minnesotans.
The truth is that the legislature made a good-faith effort to compromise by accommodating nearly 70% of the governor's state objections. Nearly all of the so-called 'controversial' policy measures were removed—when asked specifically about policy measures that remained in the bill by the press, the governor could barely recall any objections.
Our tax bill would have conformed the state’s code to changes made at the federal level and give 2.2 million Minnesotans a tax break. This tax break included the first income tax cut for the 2 lowest income brackets in nearly two decades and preserved a number of exemptions and deductions.
Now, due to the governor’s actions, nearly 1 million Minnesotans will actually pay more in taxes next year and every Minnesotan will have to deal with a complicated and cumbersome tax filing process.
For more information on the harm that will be caused by the governor’s reckless veto, please click here.
The supplemental finance bill also included a number of important initiatives like important school safety funding, funding to help deputy registrars hurt by the MNLARS mess, funding to help avert a 7% cut for those employees that work with our vulnerable disability population, critical funding to combat opioid abuse and more.
Instead, none of those critically needed initiatives will be taking place thanks to his veto.
Here is a brief list of people affected by Governor Dayton’s vetoes:
It is very disappointing and I am hopeful we can pick up where we left off next year and address these problems and get them signed into law.
Over this Memorial Day weekend, I hope you find a moment to pause with your loved one to acknowledge the sacrifice that so many men and women have made in service to our nation. If you know anyone who has lost a loved one in military service, please thank them for their sacrifice. If you have lost a family member in the line of military duty, please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you.
God Bless,
Glenn