Give It Back: Hardworking Taxpayers' Surplus Should Be Returned

St. Paul- The Office of Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released the February Economic Forecast Friday showing a $1.2 billion surplus for Fiscal Year 2014-15. Governor Dayton and Democrats’ budget took $2.1 billion in new taxes from Minnesotans including taxes on internet purchases, farm equipment repairs, cigarettes and warehousing. Governor Mark Dayton and Democrats in the legislature increased spending by nearly 10 percent in their overall budget including millions of dollars for a new office building and salary increases for politicians.

In response, House and Senate Republican leaders announced the Minnesota “Give It Back” Act, a package of policies aimed at returning tax dollars to hardworking Minnesotans including:  

• Full, retroactive repeal of Democrats’ 2013 business-to-business taxes
• Elimination of the marriage penalty, adoption tax & full conformity to the federal personal income tax code
• Undo the Democrats’ 2013 death tax

"The state surplus is proof that Democrat policies are over-taxing Minnesotans. Rather than increasing state spending even more, we believe the surplus needs to be returned to the taxpayers who created it. Instead of a state surplus, let's work for a taxpayer surplus. Let's give Minnesotans their billions back,” said Senate Republican Leader David (Eden Prairie).

“After Democrats took nearly $500 in new taxes for every man, woman and child in Minnesota, it’s no wonder the state budget has more money. The problem is Minnesota moms and dads aren’t seeing a surplus in their own budget. These dollars don’t belong in a vault in St. Paul or worse, spent on a lavish new office complex for politicians like Democrats propose. This money belongs in the pockets of hardworking Minnesota taxpayers,” concluded House Republican Leader Kurt Daudt (Crown).

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