Gov. Mark Dayton's $37 billion budget would shave more than half of the state's $6.2 billion deficit over the next two years by increasing income taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans, something he pledged to do during last year's campaign.
According to Dayton's office, 95% of Minnesotans will experience no tax increase under the proposed budget. Dayton proposes a new income tax tier at 10.95% for joint filers over $150,000 and head of household filers over $130,000; and a temporary income surtax of three percent for all filers over $500,000. He also proposed a statewide property tax on home values over $1,000,000.
Dayton also outlined $775 million in cuts for health and welfare programs on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. MinnesotaCare is a state-subsidized health care plan for the working poor, who pay premiums on a sliding scale. It offers less generous benefits than federal health care programs. Although Dayton's plan would increase funding for K-12 public education, he said he won't immediately repay nearly $1 billion in aid that was delayed to local schools during the budget battle last year.
