Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Legislative News and Views - Rep. Bob Dettmer (R)

Back to profile

Legislative News from Rep. Bob Dettmer

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Hello from the State Capitol,

 

This weekend, the House approved state government finance and transportation finance proposals. I voted against both measures.

 

The state government finance bill continues to shovel money to state bureaucrats and agencies and includes radical election policy that has no bipartisan support. While Minnesotans are struggling and making do with less, House Democrats continue to grow government.

 

Unfortunately, the omnibus veterans finance bill I supported was also merged with the state government finance bill.

 

I could not vote for the current State Government Omnibus bill as written but the veterans part of the bill was good except for a couple provisions that I tried to amend but fell short on votes 61-66, along party lines. 

 

The Veteran’s Omnibus Bill should be a standalone bill and not be inserted into any other finance package as it then becomes part of a partisan, controversial proposal. 

 

Another example of a controversial proposal would be the transportation finance bill.

 

The House majority proposal includes a $350 million gas tax increase, a billion-dollar light rail tax hike, and hundreds of millions in other fee increases, including an increase to registration and tab fee tax hikes, and an increase to the Motor Vehicle Sales tax.

 

To me, it makes no sense to raise taxes and fees on anyone when people have been struggling financially due to the pandemic. And let’s not forget, Minnesota also has a $1.6 billion budget surplus and billions of dollars arriving from Washington through federal relief. We don’t need any more of the people’s money.

 

Both the state government finance and transportation finance proposals will have to go through a House/Senate conference committee where a compromise plan will be crafted, and then sent back to the House for a final vote before being sent to Governor Walz.

 

Talk to you soon,

 

Bob