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With an insider’s eye, Hot Dish tracks the tastiest bits of Minnesota’s political scene and keep you up-to-date on those elected to serve you.

Contributors in Minnesota: Jennifer Brooks, Baird Helgeson, Patricia Lopez, Jim Ragsdale, Rachel E. Stassen-Berger and Glen Stubbe. Contributors in D.C.: Kevin Diaz and Corey Mitchell.

Posts about Gov. Mark Dayton

House approves care workers union bill by single vote

Posted by: Jim Ragsdale Updated: May 20, 2013 - 3:15 PM

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Organized labor won a major victory in the waning hours of the Legislative session Monday when the House approved -- by a single vote -- a bill that allows some in-home child care providers and personal care attendants to decide whether to unionize.

The House approved the bill by a 68-66 vote, the minimum required for passage, prompting a prolonged cheer from union supporters in the galleries, an unusual event that angered GOP opponents of the bill.

The bill goes to DFL Gov. Mark Dayton. A spokeswoman said the governor will sign the bill into law.

It will allow two unions that are key parts of the DFL constituency -- the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) -- to try to organize more than 20,000 child care providers and personal care attendants.

The bill became the sticking point of the 2013 session, taking 17 hours of debate in the Senate and three separate long debates in the House.

Opponents immediate vowed to file suit to block implementation of the organizing attempt.

"If we pass this legislation, all we're saying is, it's their choice," said House Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul.

"My heart breaks for the moms," said an opponent, Rep. Tara Mack, R-Apple Valley.  Rep. Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, said there will be a reaction against DFL supporters. "You're going to see passion, folks," he said. "I hope the money and the members are worth it."

 

MN Senate unanimously ousts Tax Court judge

Posted by: Jim Ragsdale Updated: May 20, 2013 - 12:00 PM

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The Minnesota Senate voted unanimously to oust a Tax Court judge that Gov. Mark Dayton reappointed -- and now wants to remove from office.

The Senate voted 57-0 against a motion to confirm George Perez, which means Perez must leave office.

This month, a panel of the Board of Judicial Standards recommended sanctions against Perez for missing deadlines for decisions and falsifying dates to cover up the delays.  Dayton then asked the Senate to refuse to confirm Perez, saying he would never have reappointed him had he known of the complaints.

"I believe that Judge Perez's reported misconduct violates the integrity of our state's judicial system, and that his continued service is not in the best interest of Minnesota citizens," Dayton said in a letter to legislators.

Perez was initially appointed in 1997 and became Chief Judge in 2001. Dayton reappointed him in 2011.

 

House passes $2 billion in new taxes, stadium funding, Mayo project

Posted by: Jennifer Brooks Updated: May 20, 2013 - 1:54 AM

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By Baird Helgeson

The Minnesota House approved $2.1 billion in new taxes on Sunday night, the most sweeping package of new revenue in more than a decade.

House Democrats voted 69-65 to increase income taxes on high earners and impose a dramatic increase on the tobacco tax. The measure also set aside money to pay the state’s share of the new Minnesota Viking stadium and help a multibillion-dollar expansion in Rochester to aid Mayo Clinic.

The additional revenue is a crucial component of DFLers' plan to boost education funding, provide property tax relief and spur economic development. The new proposal also wipes out a $627 million projected deficit.

“We’re proffering massive property tax relief for all Minnesotans, both for cities, counties and school districts, individuals and renters,” said House Taxes Committee Chairwoman Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington.

Republicans said the tax hikes are an economy killer, and set the state government growth at a rate much higher than in the private sector.

“If somebody says this isn't a job-killing tax bill, then they don't know anything about businesses,” said Rep. Mark Anderson, R-Lake Shore.

Legislators ditched much-criticized proposals to begin charging sales tax on clothing and a separate plan to impose a temporary income tax surcharge on those with a taxable income of more than $500,000 a year. That money was slated to go to speed the repayment of $850 million owned to K-12 public schools. They also scrapped a proposed alcohol tax, which drew intense opposition from the state’s beer and wine industry.

In the closing days, lawmakers reverted to the framework of a plan first offered by DFL Gov. Mark Dayton.

The measure will make the rate the high earners the fifth-highest in the nation, a huge concern for Republicans.

The new budget is a huge political victory for Dayton, who campaigned on a pledge to “tax the rich” and was not able to get the proposal by Republicans who controlled the Legislature two years ago. Dayton finally got his opening when DFLers took over control of the Legislature this year.

The plan creates a new, top income tax tier for married couples who have a taxable income of more than $250,000 a year. Under the plan, the top 2 percent of wage earners will now pay 9.85 percent in state income tax on every dollar over $250,000.

That is a 2 percentage point jump from the current top rate and will put Minnesota’s income tax rate among the top five in the country. Only California, New York, Hawaii and Oregon are higher.

DFLers also ratcheted up the tobacco tax by $1.60-per-pack, more than double the current rate. Democrats were persuaded that the hike will encourage people to quit smoking and prevent children from starting, but it will also create a new windfall to pay for other spending priorities.

Part of the new tobacco revenue will also go to help repay the state’s share of the new Minnesota Vikings stadium. The state’s initial solution of using new revenue from electronic pull-tabs and bingo has fallen profoundly below projections.

Along with the tobacco tax money, the state is using some corporate tax revenue to make up any shortfall left by the electronic gambling revenue. The state needs about $30 million a year to pay its share of the new, nearly $1 billion stadium to be built on the site of the Metrodome.

“This is something we told the taxpayers we would not do, why are we doing it?” asked state Rep. Bob Barrett, R-Lindstrom.

“Minnesotans want to move on and see it built and leave no doubts that all the Vikings needs are met,” Lenczewsi said.

The proposal includes millions in tax breaks for cities and counties, buyers of aircraft parts and the state’s largest craft brewers.

“When you’re voting for this tax increase, you’re not solving the Vikings problem, you’re not paying back the [school] shift, you’re not helping health or human services or the schools that you promised you were going to do,” Rep. Matt Dean, R-Dellwood. “It doesn’t give me any pleasure to say that, but I have to say that because that’s the truth.”

Lenczewski defended the bill, noting that most of the new taxes will fall on the wealthy or on businesses “to whom much has been given” by the state in the past. The exception, she said, was the new tobacco tax.

“I view [the tobacco tax] as a public health imperative,” she said. “That tax does not begin to recoup the cost to all of us for the use of that substance.”

The measure now goes to the Senate for final passage. Dayton helped craft the final tax deal and supports the proposal.

Staff writer Jennifer Brooks contributed to this report.

All-day kindergarten approved in education bill

Posted by: Jim Ragsdale Updated: May 19, 2013 - 5:04 PM

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Most parents will have access to free, all-day kindergarten beginning in the Fall of 2014 under a $15.7 billion education funding bill given final approval by the Legislature on Sunday. The Senate approved the bill on a 41-26 vote and sent it to Gov. Mark Dayton.
 
The bill is both the biggest single part of the state’s general fund budget and a top priority of the DFL Legislature. Their reason for taking the unpopular step of raising taxes is to provide the popular benefit of all-day kindergarten, as well as other education improvements.
 
All-day kindergarten will be optional for school districts, but sponsors expect most districts to provide it.
The bill includes $485 million in new money and includes a $40 million boost in scholarships for lower-income families to send their children to high-quality pre-schools; a $40 million increase in special education aid; and an increase in the basic classroom education formula.
 
“This is a great bill, that has reform, puts us on a path for each Minnesota student to be successfully ready for college and career as part of the world’s best work force,”  said Sen. Chuck Wiger, DFL-Maplewood, chair of the E-12 Finance Division.
 
“When are we going to get down the business of making sure we are educating kids?” responded Senate Minority Leader David Hann, R-Eden Prairie. “When are we going to get off the idea that somehow spending money equates to that?”
 
The bill ends the high-stakes high school graduation tests known as the GRAD tests, and it raises the age at which students can drop out from 16 to 17. It also softens high-stakes basic skills testing for teachers by giving teachers two additional one-year provisional licenses if they cannot pass the tests.

Gov. Dayton asks Senate to reject confirmation of tax court judge

Posted by: Jim Ragsdale Updated: May 19, 2013 - 1:56 PM

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Gov. Mark Dayton has asked legislators to reject a tax court judge he reappointed.

Dayton wants the Senate to vote to reject the confirmation of Tax Court Judge George Perez, whom Dayton had reappointed to the Tax Court.

In a letter to legislators, Dayton said on May 10, a review panel for the Board on Judicial Standards found violations of the Code of Conduct by Perez, and recommended censure and suspension without pay for nine months.

"Had I known about the board's findings, I would not have reappointed him to another term in the Tax Court," Dayton said. "I believe that Judge Perez's reported misconduct violates the integrity of our state's judicial system, and that his continued service is not in the best interest of Minnesota citizens."

The panel found that the judge had regularly missed the three-month deadline for issuing opinions and falsified dates to hide the delays. Perez's attorney said he will seek to reduce the suggested penalty.

 

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