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Due to confusion about how to read the voting board, we are sending out the voting board with my vote highlighted. As you can see I voted YES to eliminate the Social Security Tax.
 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Budget Forecast
On Monday, the Legislature received an updated budget forecast that shows us the exact status of our massive surplus, taking into account $100 million in spending and adjusted for inflation. Unsurprisingly, the forecast showed that the state still has a nearly $18 billion surplus. This surplus isn?t the state?s money, it?s your money and the House Republican Caucus is fighting to return the surplus to the taxpayers instead of recklessly spending it.
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Even with an $18 billion surplus, the DFL wants to borrow $1.5 billion more for a bonding bill that includes no Republican projects. I objected to this in committee - more information on that below.
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Eliminating the Tax on Social Security
During Monday?s floor session, Minority Leader Demuth made a motion to bring the bill that would end the unfair double tax on Social Security to the floor for a vote. The bill is HF 153, and, unsurprisingly, ?the DFL again refused to end the tax on Social Security. You can see the roll call vote below. A Green vote is a vote to end the tax. I voted to end the tax on Social Security.
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I will keep working to end this unfair tax on Minnesotans. With an $18 billion surplus, the time is now. You can watch the floor debate here.
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Committee Action
Yesterday I commented on two bills in the Ways and Means Committee. The first bill up was HF 366, a bill that deals with abortion. I questioned the bill?s author Rep. Agbaje on why her bill did not have a fiscal note until the third fiscal committee stops, something that is all too common this session. Bills are being rushed through fiscal committees without any idea of how much they cost. For that reason and others, I voted no. The bill passed to the General Register awaiting being calendared for debate on the floor. You can watch my comments here.
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The second bill up in Ways and Means yesterday was the bonding bill, HF 669. This is a bill that contains a number of appropriations and amends prior appropriations of general obligation bonds. It?s a spending bill, and one that the chief author Rep. Fue Lee admitted only contains ?Democratic members? projects.? Rep. Lee promised that this would eventually be a fair bill that would include some Republican projects, but passing an incomplete bonding bill through Ways and Means to the floor is not how legislative process should work. My comments are below:
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?I don?t know why this bill is here right now with no Republican projects in it. We are borrowing $1.5 billion more while we have an $18 billion surplus.?
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You can watch the entire exchange here.
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Please Contact Me
As always, if you need assistance on an issue pertaining to state government or have concerns or ideas about legislation, my office is available to you. You can e-mail at [email protected] or call my office at 651-296-5063. You can also write a letter to me. My office address at the Capitol is 357 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55155.
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/RepMarionONeill
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357 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
651.296.5063 |
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