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One critical decision left for the Minnesota Legislature in the remaining two-plus weeks of its session is how much to cut taxes and for whom. 

The Minnesota House set up those end-of-session negotiations Wednesday with passage of a plan that’s more-limited than one that the Senate advanced earlier this year. 

It would be difficult for lawmakers to reach a deal for dispersing the rest of Minnesota’s giant budget surplus unless at least some is sent back as tax relief.

The House DFL-driven plan, approved on a 69-62 vote, would deliver about $1.6 billion in tax savings this year and more into the future. House Taxes Committee Chair Paul Marquart, DFL-Dilworth, said he fashioned his plan to make “strategic, crucial tax cuts” for those facing the most financial constraints.

“We know that young families at this time of their stage of life probably are facing the highest bills they'll ever face – child care costs, student loan payments, mortgage, your rent payments, property taxes,” Marquart said. “And so this bill really zeroes in on: How can we reduce those costs?”

The bill delivers money through a smattering of credit, refund and rebate programs – new and old – rather than reducing rates:

Last month, the Republican-led Senate approved a bill with 

 and elimination of any tax on Social Security income. The bottom income tax bracket would fall from 5.35 percent to 2.8 percent, affecting all filers on the first portion of their taxable income.

It would cost about $8 billion over three years.

Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, said that’s the way to go.  

“Minnesota is not competitive in our taxes,” Robbins said. “If we are going to be able to compete with other states and grow our economy we have to get out of the top five and top 10 tax brackets in the nation.”

Rep. Mike Howard, DFL-Richfield, said the House version puts the emphasis on people struggling to make ends meet.

“If you're a CEO, making over a million dollars a year, you're not going to get a tax cut in this bill. And that's the right priority,” Howard said. “In this moment for Minnesotans, we shouldn't be providing blanket tax cuts.” 

Howard said the bill still leaves room for considerable new aid to schools and other priorities.

The House-approved rebate proposal differs from one recommended by DFL Gov. Tim Walz, who wants to send one-time checks of up to $1,000 out this year. His is general in nature and not based on whether filers are raising children.

But both the Walz and House versions would go to people who make too little to have a state income tax liability. 

Rep. Jim Nash, R-Waconia, said that kind of eligibility is too loose.

“I understand that this is an attempt to sprinkle a little love out to everybody,” Nash said, “but the bill is pretty clear that it's going to people who have not paid in. And I think that that's preposterous.” 

Politics and Government News

Brian Bakst

Author

The Minnesota House passed a tax plan Wednesday that’s built around targeted credits and refunds rather than an income-tax rate cut favored by the Senate.

Table is set for end-of-session debate over tax cuts

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