Dear Neighbor,
Today is the deadline for Gov. Mark Dayton to sign or veto the 2016 tax bill. The bill passed with the support of 89 percent of the Legislature, passing 123-10 in the House and 55-12 in the Senate.
The bill includes half a billion dollars in permanent, ongoing middle-class tax relief including (over the next three years):
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$90.6 million in agriculture property tax relief for Minnesota farmers
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$110 million in tax relief for college graduates paying off student loans through a refundable tax credit up to $1,000, the first of its kind in the country
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$49 million in tax relief for families who contribute to 529 Plans to save for their children's college costs
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$146 million in property tax relief for every small business in the state by exempting the first $100,000 of commercial-industrial property
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$150 million in tax relief for working families by expanding the working family tax credit
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$32 million to reduce the cost of childcare; by expanding the childcare tax credit, families could earn a tax credit up to $960
The governor has threatened to veto the bill despite agreement from House Republicans to make two changes the governor requested to fix a drafting error and restore a small sales tax exemption. It's time for the governor to sign the bill to give long-awaited tax relief to thousands of Minnesota families, or call an immediate special session to pass it with the two changes he wants.
Please contact the governor and urge him to sign the tax bill. You can call his office at 651-201-3400, or toll free 800-657-3717. You also can email your comments to the governor by clicking here. Please be respectful in any comments you make.
Sincerely,
Jim