HF 3149 - 3rd Reading

In a 10 hour 23 minute session, debate on the final amended bill began at the 9 hour 35 minute mark. The first speaker (Rep. Simpson) got up and reminded members of all of the provisions that the DFL's new "friends", the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, were against - raising taxes on specific businesses, raising utility rates, reducing R&D tax credits among other things. Rep. Garafalo spoke about how this was the wrong time and the wrong economy to raise property taxes as this bill does. With record foreclosures, he said, increasing property taxes is just plain wrong he said. Rep. Seifert asked for another call of the house, which could mean that they want a vote soon and (as Anonymous corrected me the other night) he wants to make sure that all members vote on this bill - get them on the record. After 5 minutes, Rep. Sertich asked that the clerk close the rolls and that the Sgt At Arms be instructed to bring the missing members in. As that was happening Rep. Lanning got up and spoke against the bill. He brought up that there was a NEW formula for distribution of Local Government Aid that would actually REDUCE aid to most cities! Even Minneapolis, Duluth, St. Cloud, the regional centers AND small cities will all get less under a new formula that is being developed by Democrats! This is a huge thing as the DFL candidatess hammered Republican legislators over the last two election cycles because of reductions in LGA. He also mentioned that this bill is taking away the real estate tax deduction from state income taxes! (Ed: Yet Rep. Lenczewski insists this bill is "revenue neutral"? Maybe to the government but certainly NOT to the taxpayers!) Rep Lanning also brought up that the Dept of Revenue does not know how they are going to implement this bill. Rep. Marquardt got up and insisted that this is a property tax relief bill. The voters need to keep this in mind. He insists that a bill that will only give tax relief to a small portion of Minnesotans but will leave the rest of us high and dry.

Rep. Seifert got up and spoke about how 18 months ago, voters voted for legislators that said that they were going to fix major issues and they have done nothing. He then called this bill the "Death Star" of tax policy - saying that there is no tax relief for the majority of Minnesotans...that this bill does more harm than good. He repeated Commissioner Einess' comments that the majority of Minnesotans will end up on the losing end of this bill! He said that this is not a "governor friendly" bill...that it hurts EVERYBODY not just "the rich".

Rep. Lenczewski spoke last in defense of her bill and basically said that tax increases=property tax relief. Now it is true that some people will have their property taxes go down, but what good is THAT when all of their other taxes GO UP? That is the basic thing that the DFL just doesn't get!

THE HOUSE IS UNDER CALL...EVERYONE SHALL VOTE and vote they did. The bill passed pretty much along party lines - 80 to 52. Some notable votes on this bill:

DFLer's Julie Bunn, Tony Cornish, Denise Dittrich, Thomas Huntley and Bev Scalze all voted against the tax bill. No Republicans voted for it.

For my friends to the south and east of me in the 2nd Congressional district you should know that Will Morgan (Savage, Burnsville), Shelley Madore (Apple Valley) Sandra Maisin (Eagan) and David Bly (Rice County) ALL VOTED to raise your taxes!