GOVERNOR DAYTON REJECTS TAX RELIEF AND JOB CREATION EFFORTS
Bill providing immediate tax relief for families and small businesses is vetoed
St. Paul – Hours after the Minnesota Senate passed the jobs and tax relief conference committee report, Governor Dayton announced his veto of the bill. The measure offered $51.7 million in immediate tax relief and for $200 million over the next three years. During the legislative process, lawmakers focused their efforts in stimulating economic development activity, job creation and homeowner tax relief. Furthermore, legislative leaders took the Governor’s priorities and concerns into consideration in the development of the final conference committee report.
“The Governor has burned what may be the last bridge to working with legislators at the Capitol this year. This bill was crafted within the parameters that the Governor set in negotiations and the conferees responded to his concerns by reducing spending tails and eliminating renters credit reductions. We also included a Dayton priority of $2 million for the Minnesota Investment Fund and $6 million for a tax credit for hiring veterans. We made substantial concessions on this proposal in order to get the Governor’s signature,” said Deputy Majority Leader Julianne Ortman (R-Chanhassen), chair of the Senate Tax Committee and chief author of the bill.
An important provision in the bill freezes business property taxes and eliminates the automatic inflator, which under current law, increases with inflation every year. The compromised bill called for the state’s levy amount to be frozen at $817 million. Without the freeze, the statewide levy would escalate to over $1billion for business property taxpayers by 2022. The bill also included a phased-in, upfront sales tax exemption for capital equipment purchases which would been effective in July 2012 and was designed to encourage immediate investments and orders, and would be expected to generate a surge in business activity in the state. Governor Dayton also vetoed important provisions for homeowner tax relief and incentives for construction and economic development for dozens of cities throughout the state.
“This veto of the tax relief and jobs bill by Governor Dayton was extremely disappointing. It was a political decision not a decision based upon the future best interests of Minnesota,” said Majority Leader David Senjem (R-Rochester). “This bill was passed with bipartisan votes in both the House and Senate and it addressed concerns raised by the Governor. Sadly, the Governor chose to kill more real jobs than the bonding bill and the stadium bill will contribute to Minnesota’s economy.”
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VOICES of Conservative Women Endorses Julianne Ortman for State Senate
(Chanhassen, MN – May 3, 2012) – VOICES of Conservative Women State PAC (VOICESPAC) announces their endorsement and support of Minnesota Senator and Deputy Majority Leader Julianne Ortman.
Upon learning of the endorsement, Senator Ortman said, "VOICES is cutting-edge in Minnesota Politics for advancing the mission of all conservatives to downsize government in favor of individuals and the private sector. I am very pleased to have earned their confidence."
Jennifer DeJournett, President of VOICES of Conservative Women and Exec. Director of VOICESPAC said “Minnesota Senator Julianne Ortman made history by being the first woman to chair the complex Senate Tax Committee. Julianne’s work has had a clear focus on restraining government, improving the business environment and reforming the tax code in Minnesota. We were proud to offer her a fiscal conservative award in 2010 and continue to be encouraged by her work in the Minnesota Senate.”
“Julianne is an inspiration to many women who someday aspire to follow in the trail she continues to blaze. Therefore, we enthusiastically endorse Minnesota Senator Julianne Ortman,” continued DeJournett.
VOICES of Conservative Women (VOICES) was formed to help train and support the next generation of women leaders and/or candidates at all levels of government who support fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free market principles. In addition, VOICES works to educate the general public on fiscal responsibility, the need to elect leaders who support those ideals and encourage more women to become involved in public policy. VOICESPAC’s political fund stands with and elects female leaders who support our ideals.
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Vikings Stadium Gets in Line Behind Tax BIll
April 27, 2012 - On Friday evening and into the night, the Senate Tax Committee took up the Vikings stadium proposal (SF2391). After nearly six hours of testimony, discussion, debate and amendments, the bill was passed on to the full Senate with a vote of 7-6.
I voted "NO", along with three other Republicans and two Democrats. There is a good article on what happened in the Tax Committee hearing on the Stadium Bill on the Pioneer Press website, and a 'live' video from KARE-11.
The Vikings have asked the people of Minnesota for extraordinary assistance, and I have always said that it is bad tax policy for the State to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. Let me be very clear: Before we even consider a vote on a Stadium to benefit one business enterprise, we must secure permanent tax relief for ALL Minnesota businesses and property tax payers.
As Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate and Chair of the Tax Committee, I have positioned Tax relief as a higher priority than a stadium. We passed the tax bill out of the Conference Committee on Saturday. This bill would provide permanent tax relief to Minnesotans estimated at $200 million dollars over the next three years. The Tax Bill will now go to the House and Senate Floors and then on to the Governor on Monday. Another good article appeared Saturday on the Star Tribune website: Vikings bill gets in line behind tax cuts.
As always, if you have questions or ideas, please contact me or my staff - we love hearing from you!
The Vikings have asked the people of Minnesota for extraordinary assistance, and I have always said that it is bad tax policy for the State to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. Let me be very clear: Before we even consider a vote on a Stadium to benefit one business enterprise, we must secure permanent tax relief for ALL Minnesota businesses and property tax payers.
As Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate and Chair of the Tax Committee, I have positioned Tax relief as a higher priority than a stadium. We passed the tax bill out of the Conference Committee on Saturday. This bill would provide permanent tax relief to Minnesotans estimated at $200 million dollars over the next three years. The Tax Bill will now go to the House and Senate Floors and then on to the Governor on Monday. Another good article appeared Saturday on the Vikings bill gets in line behind tax cuts.
As always, if you have questions or ideas, please contact me or my staff - we love hearing from you!
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Omnibus Tax & Jobs Bill Passes the Senate
March 30, 2012
MINNESOTA SENATE PASSES JOBS AND TAX RELIEF BILL Bill makes long term, sustainable changes to improve Minnesota job climate
March 30, 2102 - MINNESOTA SENATE PASSES JOBS AND TAX RELIEF BILL Bill makes long term, sustainable changes to improve Minnesota job climate.
St. Paul – The Minnesota Senate voted to approve the Omnibus Jobs and Tax Relief bill on Friday. In light of the budget surplus revealed in the February Economic Forecast, the bill was crafted to provide over $102 million in tax relief and to encourage private sector investment and economic growth. Two-thirds of the $102 million relief is for individual income taxpayers and the total tax relief over the next three years comes to nearly $300 million.
“Since we have reversed the state budget trend from a cycle of perpetual deficits to a budget surplus, the time is right to offer tax relief for individuals, businesses and job creators,” said Deputy Majority Leader Julianne Ortman (R-Chanhassen), chief author of the bill. “This bill is designed to promote economic growth by making more capital available for investment, equipment, expansion and additional employees.”
A key component of the bill is a reduction and phase-out of the statewide business property tax totaling $29 million in Fiscal Year 2013. Businesses will continue to pay their local property taxes. Beginning in 2017, adjusted levy base amounts for commercial-industrial property and seasonal recreational property are reduced by approximately 10 percent until the tax is eliminated in 2026. Reducing and eventually eliminating the statewide business property tax has been an economic stimulus priority for Senate Republicans for several years.
Additional provisions include $62 million in federal tax conformity to address the marriage penalty and allowing a subtraction of 46 percent of military retirement benefits. The bill also makes an increase of the angel investment tax credit cap by $2 million per year and implements a phased-in, upfront exemption for capital equipment purchases.
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Senator Ortman Tells Bureaucrats to "Try Harder" to trim Budgets
In Senate Tax Committee Hearings this morning (March 22, 2012) Senator Ortman sparred with Management and Budget Commissioner Jim Schowalter. Schowalter complained that further budget cuts in State administrative offices would be hard to find.
Tax Chair Ortman responded, "I encourage you to go back to the table, roll up your sleeves, get out your pencils, you and the other commissioners and the other managers, there are many of them, and find some savings. Because I think it's there. I think every Minnesotan knows it's there, and that we can do more to reduce the size of government to encourage the prosperity of individuals and businesses in the state of Minnesota."
Schowalter countered that this ground (budget cuts) had been covered extensively in last session's budget discussion, and that there were essentially no cuts left to make.
Ortman, though, was unconvinced. “Commissioner,” she said, “frankly you haven’t done enough.”
The bill in question, SF1972, would essentially lower the tax burden by $100 million dollars and offset the tax cuts with State budget cuts. Tax cuts include business property taxes, income taxes for married couples, and credits for veterans and military members.
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Accountability vs. Independence: The Case for Meaningful Judicial Elections
In the 2012 judicial elections, candidates should work vigorously to inform the voting public (for the sake of accountability), and avoid unnecessary politicization of the elections (for the sake of impartiality). It is in all of our best interests to both protect the honor of the distinguished office of judge in the State of Minnesota, and also safeguard the right of people to meaningful elections.
Members of the “Quie Commission” formed the Coalition for Impartial Justice to lobby and advocate for retention elections --where there is but one name on the ballot. Voters would be asked only whether or not to retain the incumbent judge in office. If a judge is defeated the Governor would appoint a new one. Voters would never be presented with an alternative candidate, and could never identify a candidate from the community to run against a judge, former Viking Alan Page is a recent example.
Minnesota voters will not reward candidates who politicize judicial races: in every election since 2006, all 6 judicial challengers who brandished major party endorsements were defeated. Since 2006 we’ve had a total of 313 judicial elections in Minnesota; of them, only 27 incumbents have faced an opponent, and only 3 have been defeated (that’s less than 1%)!
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EVENTS CHANHASSEN - 9:00AM-9:45AM Chanhassen Rec Center Room 2 2310 Coulter Boulevard Chanhassen, MN 55317
CHASKA - 10:15AM-11:00AM Chaska Community Center Dry Craft Room 1661 Park Ridge Dr Chaska, MN 55318
NORWOOD YOUNG AMERICA - 12:15PM-1:00PM Pizza Ranch Back Room (Party Room) 425 Merger St Norwood Young America, MN 55368
WACONIA - 1:30PM-2:15:PM American Legion Waconia Post 150 Upstairs Room 233 S Olive St Waconia, MN 55387 Senator Ortman appeared on KTLK1130's Davis & Emmer Show on February 23. Listen HERE.
Senator Ortman appeared on the TPT's Almanac at the Capitol on February 15. Watch HERE.
Senator Senator Ortman appeared on WCCO radio's Chad Hartman show on January 31. Listen to the podcast HERE.
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