[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6335621,"mediaKeyId","2288940-0e9eea93830852303feecf3fd779b192","parentId",2288940,"title","Committee hears constitutional amendment to return large surpluses to taxpayers; advocates and budget analysts urge caution","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",3942000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288940-0e9eea93830852303feecf3fd779b192&start=3942&end=3942","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288940-0e9eea93830852303feecf3fd779b192/thumbnail_3942000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6335621/Minnesota/Committee-hears-constitutional-amendment-to-return-large-surpluses-to-taxpayers-advocates-and-budget-analysts-urge-caution","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335621-039e63a663726ee888fa8d60ffd6a1ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1776232540&Signature=mY74xIHxwMXWqxT1yoDUY1U3nQoWNiv0Ne2n3e-goyqwDwe7k~CbKQJw5q7~VUjCL7iDhNuq9wqwQxmOghinei4BStmV2mQuddpKDOGeT4XxJU1FB0OgprZHibrE~wFVEPTQkA6EUCEju35xkiHNIgOKSByLEvcCu87Y~dN66NLBHtf3BLZbmfDB1BKxuPftDLm52JrfqoR53vuDNrrhcoxL22lAvlIE5k~h8Ws7P5oB1z-GGJBW5kFfWf1ODsdfz2nsf4812xwKlSeSflV~DtmxGpv-oULc3P-DcM17C5DjMuAaZlIzkz4wgonGFck0CbFqxD-FlWihsPSiA7sl6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MNHouseInfo","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","The House Tax Committee considered House File 4 on Jan. 24, a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a state account for projected general-fund revenues that exceed 105% of projected expenditures and require legislative appropriation of those amounts for property- or income-tax relief.

Representative Johnson presented the measure as a mechanism to send surplus revenue back to taxpayers. \"Instead of creating new ways to spend surpluses, this would actually put it back to the people who created the surplus,\" Johnson said, describing the proposal as a constitutional vehicle to return funds as refunds or one-time tax reductions.

Supporters included Rayann Lee of Americans for Prosperity, who told the committee, \"We applaud the proposal to return surplus funds to taxpayers,\" and suggested alternative triggers such as automatic rate reductions. Lee urged changes to budgeting processes to reduce volatility and limit government growth.

Opponents included Nan Madden, director of the Minnesota Budget Project, who warned that embedding revenue limits in the state constitution would reduce legislative flexibility and harm long-term public investment. \"Constitutional revenue limits prevent public investments from keeping pace with growth in the economy or changes in our population,\" Madden said, citing the Colorado TABOR experience and the risks of reduced ability to respond to recessions or crises.

Eric Bernstein of the We Make Minnesota coalition also opposed the amendment, arguing it would deplete resources for education, healthcare and infrastructure and remove decisions about spending from elected officials. \"Putting tax cuts on autopilot will only limit the legislature's ability to respond to contemporary context and pressing social priorities,\" Bernstein said.

Committee members asked technical questions about implementation, including how the statute would use forecasts (members may select one of two recent official forecasts for the comparison), whether corporate property owners could receive refunds, and how the provision would interact with the current budget reserve. House fiscal and research staff said a fiscal note had been requested and was in process. Members also discussed referral steps for constitutional amendments under House Rule 4.15; staff advised that a referral to Ways and Means followed by Rules is a typical path.

Representative Johnson moved and the committee adopted the 4A2 amendment to put the bill in its amended shape; that amendment passed on a voice vote. Committee chairs did not forward HF4 to Ways and Means during the Jan. 24 meeting; the bill was laid over for further consideration and will be rescheduled. Members of both parties said additional technical work and fiscal analysis are needed before the committee advances a constitutional amendment to the full House.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Taxes Committee 2/11/25","oneSentenceSummary","House File 4 would create a constitutional trigger to return general fund surpluses above a 105% threshold to taxpayers. Supporters urged returning surplus funds; budget analysts and advocacy groups warned the amendment would limit future legislative flexibility and could harm public investment.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":44,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6335624,"House Tax Committee approves bill to exempt essential infant items from state sales tax and sends it to Ways and Means",2522,1420000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288940-0e9eea93830852303feecf3fd779b192&start=1420&end=3942","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288940-0e9eea93830852303feecf3fd779b192/thumbnail_1420000.jpg","/articles/6335624/Minnesota/House-Tax-Committee-approves-bill-to-exempt-essential-infant-items-from-state-sales-tax-and-sends-it-to-Ways-and-Means","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335624-7bbaac4c2c890e9be22668177746f4c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1776232540&Signature=Ur20sgVAD6-QFEPmDEn-GFNNFHMiC29Yi16m4bRRfcmepcLnnv~s6hMn6uFDPL-~--IBUNePzQO~CjYxAC~Mkn3d3wMfY~oRjtEWjPWHcxP3KGnXSKGqxe~KsaP~BecSoudNGiLuug~hmoznF82ZAyTO3Oo3al9VnZPtHfQabZ8IoyrbyvjuOq6Kvi3wQcIOoolc14V0aHE6b76xXTYkjl4iO6AtwzK8j7jIsYZPL36OnK3OuUBvc9nMvpp8vavY-jTqps3648IlXvq5nImRUzXIIbFrDMOi~24nX0stTG5v675gU6yV6wnnqlTgQV52zkliuJaciuwK29oiS5vf9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minnesota House Tax Committee on Jan. 24 voted to pass House File 18 and recommend it to the Ways and Means Committee. The bill would exempt a list of infant and baby-care items from the state sales tax, a proposal supporters said would provide immediate savings to families buying essential items.

Representative Engen, the bill\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000sponsor, said the House\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 considered a number of everyday baby items and estimated the change would reduce state revenue by roughly $10 million. \"We're looking at $138 of savings for parents based on a set of common purchases,\" Engen said, summarizing an itemized example drawn from retail prices.

Co-chair Ayesha Gomez urged targeting public dollars to the lowest-income families and explained why she had proposed, then withdrawn, an amendment to make the change broader. Gomez pointed to extreme retail examples to illustrate the unequal benefit from a blanket exemption: \"They sell a very modest, white plastic bassinet for \u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u00016, which is $17,390 but they also have a gold plated bassinet that they sell for $61,803.\" Gomez said that a broad exemption would provide much larger dollar savings to wealthier purchasers while offering modest benefits for lower-cost purchases at mass retailers.

Witnesses who supported the bill said immediate, point-of-sale savings help families that rely on purchases for safe, new infant products. Sarah Gangelhoff, director of advocacy and innovation at the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, said the sales tax on baby products has a disproportionate effect on single mothers and women of color and that exempting essential items could ease the upfront costs of new parenting. \"Paying a tax on already expensive yet essential items compounds the burden on these families,\" she said.

Maggie Hange of the Minnesota Catholic Conference also supported the exemption, saying even modest savings of \"over $100\" on bundled infant purchases can help low-income parents avoid unsafe secondhand items.

The Department of Revenue told the committee it would publish notices, letters and tax-law summaries to inform retailers and taxpayers about any new exemption and that audits could be used to correct miscoding. Department legislative director Joanna Baerz said, \"When there's a new tax or if there's a tax change, we will send letters to taxpayers. We will put notices out on our website, we'll do deliveries, we'll do tax law summaries, making sure taxpayers know their obligation.\"

Co-chairs and members discussed trade-offs with other policy tools, including the advance payment mechanism for the state's child tax credit that began after the 2023 session. Gomez and others said targeted, income-tested credits can reach the lowest-income families more effectively than a universal sales tax exemption.

The committee recorded a voice vote in favor of sending HF18 to Ways and Means. The DE1 amendment offered by Gomez was withdrawn during committee debate. The bill now moves to Ways and Means for further consideration.","Lawmakers advanced House File 18, a proposal to remove state sales tax on a list of infant-care products, after committee debate over targeting, cost and whether broad exemptions better serve low-income families than expanding child tax credits.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6335629,"House panel hears bill to repeal Minnesota——————————————————tax on illegal drug sales stamps",466,1027000,1493000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288940-0e9eea93830852303feecf3fd779b192&start=1027&end=1493","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288940-0e9eea93830852303feecf3fd779b192/thumbnail_1027000.jpg","/articles/6335629/Minnesota/House-panel-hears-bill-to-repeal-Minnesotatax-on-illegal-drug-sales-stamps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335629-6d7924d6844fc680d9107fb8be69fab5/orig.mp4?Expires=1776232540&Signature=KkRJCPuoHUy2mwcJztjsLizJMHG-noBdkzs79I7OOiltRz48Roewei1ElFyn9xdGEnZC4xD0lWRzGo5HgDeYduggnPZHrYaOwZlEwngWhdxFDzA24akh5B1FBxr4vAJMMnKlAVnLgTn2iVrTPXC3YTEUmPyZt8XePcDtmC3MLOgu8WQUlC4KTPDyfheAb6Y58niY~CPct6IZ-1pzXreqKrwxZQ4yEP7FH-3aZdfuJLXcfKTPAad5FxymZ~LxAXhHa4XBASZRvVKv4KUPKx8RkBreuGpLdD9~RK~jeIM3oD3cI5xvKpRrfwMP0uG6LcaN0Z8vbCqYJfYnIGqVZ~viHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minnesota House Tax Committee on Jan. 24 heard testimony on House File 308, a bill that would repeal a state law requiring sellers of illegal controlled substances to purchase tax stamps from the Department of Revenue.

Representative Jess Hansen, the bill\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000sponsor, told the committee the statute has produced almost no revenue since it was enacted in 1986 and that prosecutors and the Department of Revenue rarely use it. \"Cannabis taxes are now addressed in 295.81,\" Hansen said, and the current statute expects sellers of illegal drugs to visit the Department of Revenue to pay the stamp tax, a process she said is seldom followed in practice.

The bill would remove the state\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 statute that requires those stamps. Hansen said county attorneys and the Department of Revenue had no official position last year, and that the department testified the statute was rarely used and produced no revenue in 2023.

Chair Greg Davids questioned the practical mechanics of the law, asking, \"So what you're saying is illegal drug dealers are supposed to come to the Department of Revenue and pay a tax on their illegal drugs?\" Hansen replied, \"Correct, Chair Davids.\"

Rhianna Lee, legislative and coalitions director for Americans for Prosperity\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000, testified in favor of repeal, calling the tax \"impractical\" and a \"gotcha statute\" that places unnecessary burdens on the criminal justice system. \"It places an unnecessary burden on law enforcement agencies in the criminal justice system when they're tasked with enforcing something that essentially just does not happen,\" Lee said.

Committee chairs said they would lay the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus tax bill; no formal committee vote on final passage was recorded during the hearing. The Department of Revenue did not present formal opposition at the hearing.

The committee discussion noted that the tax currently generates little to no predictable revenue and that prosecutions under the statute typically arise only as an augmentation to other criminal charges. Supporters characterized the repeal as cleaning up an obsolete statute; opponents did not register formal organized opposition during the hearing.","A bill to repeal a rarely used statute that requires purchase of stamps for illegal controlled substances drew bipartisan attention in the House Tax Committee, where supporters said the tax generated little revenue and critics said prosecutors still sometimes use the law as an augmentation to criminal charges.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears constitutional amendment to return large surpluses to taxpayers; advocates and budget analysts urge caution

House Tax Committee approves bill to exempt essential infant items from state sales tax and sends it to Ways and Means

House panel hears bill to repeal Minnesota——————————————————tax on illegal drug sales stamps