ST. PAUL – When Minnesota lawmakers return to St. Paul following their Easter/Passover break, State Representative Paul Torkelson (R-Hanska) said one of their top priorities will be analyzing Governor Dayton’s supplemental budget proposal.
“The federal government changed the tax system, and now state government needs to react to those changes,” Torkelson said. “To me the goal should be to keep things as neutral as possible so very few, if any, people are negatively impacted.”
Torkelson is concerned the governor’s plan includes more than a billion dollars in proposed tax increases and fee increases on DMV visits to pay for fixes to the failed MNLARS system.
“Proposing $1.4 billion in tax and fee increases, including a $2 fee on Department of Motor Vehicle transactions to try and fix MNLARS, is not the right path forward,” Torkelson said. “Our House Taxes Committee is now looking at issue and is determining how we level the playing field for citizens and businesses to keep them from paying higher taxes. We’re already taking enough money out of their pockets.”
Torkelson expects the Minnesota House to unveil its proposal in the coming weeks.