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

Legislative News and Views - Rep. Steve Green (R)

Back to profile

Legislative update

Friday, March 25, 2022

Neighbor,

The 2022 session is approximately halfway complete and most of our time continues to be spent in committee meetings as bills make their way into the process.

One thing I have noticed is a growing number of local-option sales tax proposals coming to the House. I am a member of the House Property Tax Division and recently sat through three full meetings of one local-option sales tax proposal after another being presented to the committee.

I have mentioned before how the process for conducting a local-option sales tax referendum is now the reverse of what it used to be. Years ago, local communities would vote on whether they wanted to approve a local tax increase. Then a legislator would author a bill allowing it to take place. Now, cities work with legislators to get their tax increase approved by the state and, once that is done, they go back to the people for a vote.

In other news, I have co-signed a House Resolution “urging the President of the United States to consider the current geopolitical tensions and support policies and take measures to ensure America’s long-term energy affordability, security, leadership and progress, including actions that result in the continued operation of existing oil and natural gas pipelines, the construction of new pipelines, and an end to restrictions on developing our nation's onshore and offshore oil and natural gas resources.

My position remains that we need to make sure we have an affordable, reliable energy grid in Minnesota. The importance of this is even more clear during a time such as this, where global instability exposes our vulnerability to relying on external sources. And, it goes without saying, we need to make sure our tax dollars aren’t being used to fund the atrocities being committed by Russia.

-Steve