ST. PAUL – Early Wednesday morning during the special legislative session, the Minnesota House passed the Omnibus Tax Bill. The tax cuts contained within the legislation were heavily weighted toward corporations and wealthy Minnesotans. This was the first bill passed as part of the special session, necessitated by the GOP-led legislature not getting their work done in bringing forth budget bills on time.
Rep. John Lesch (DFL – St. Paul) released the following statement:
“Over and over again, we’re told by Republicans, both in this state and nationally, that if we just cut taxes for rich people, the wealth will trickle down toward regular folks. Decades of economics in the real world have proven this false, and it’s irresponsible for this Republican majority to keep insisting on this approach.
“Many of us vividly remember the deficits we experienced year after year due to shortsighted tax cuts in the Ventura and Pawlenty eras, and it’s shocking that we’d risk going down that road again. And yet again, here we were in the middle of the night considering the GOP’s wish list for their big business allies and the wealthiest Minnesotans. What’s more, it was their first priority in this special session, following an epic failure to pass budget bills including responsibilities like classrooms, health care, and transportation infrastructure on time.”
Rep. Lesch has served on the Minnesota House Taxes Committee for 13 years. He represents the Como Park, North End, East Side and Hamline-Midway neighborhoods in St. Paul at the Capitol.