Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Bills asking lawmakers to raise the minimum wage by more than $3 have made their way to the floor. How much should the Legislature raise minimum wage, if at all, in one of the lowest-paid states in the country.
Minnesota lawmakers, during this period of slow, economic recovery, are taking up the debate of the amount of the state's minimum wage. Currently, both tipped workers and minimum wage workers can be paid as low as $6.15/hour, legally, in Minnesota. Most employers, though, abide by the Federal minimum wage, which is set at $7.25. Still, 6 percent of the state's workforce makes that amount, which analysts have said won't lift a worker or a family above the poverty line. Rep. Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley has introduced a bill to change that, moving Minnesota from one of the lowest minimum wage states in the nation to one of the highest. His bill hikes the state's minimum wage to $10.55/hr for high earners, or businesses that make more than $…
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Gov. Mark Dayton is scheduled to deliver his State of the State address at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the House Chamber.
Gov. Mark Dayton will give his State of the State address Wednesday from the House Chambers at the State Capitol in St. Paul. Dayton is not expected to make any new announcements on Wednesday night, but rather take the opportunity to promote his budget proposal and tax overhaul, the Pioneer Press reports. The Governor says his biennial budget proposal will eliminate the state’s $1.1 billion budget deficit and balance government spending and revenue over the next two fiscal years while putting an end to the “fiscal games” and “accounting gimmicks” of the last decade. Dayton’s proposals include cutting the sales tax rate from 6.875 percent to 5.5 percent, while broadening the tax to many goods and services that are currently exempt. He also …
Monday, January 28, 2013
See which goods and services would be taxed more, less or not at all in Minnesota under the governor's proposed changes.
Here are three lists the Minnesota Department of Revenue released Thursday night, according to Morning Take (click on PDF thumbnails at right to display lists): Which changes would affect you? Which would have an effect on businesses in Burnsville or the community more broadly? Leave a comment with an example below. Thanks to Jeff for this link to Capitol Voices where they have a more detailed list of items not taxed now that would be taxed under Dayton's plan. Related posts:
More than 100 reader comments have been made since governor's plan unveiled last week.
When Gov. Mark Dayton last week unveiled a proposed state budget and tax plan that would, among other things, lower Minnesota's sales tax from 6.875 percent to 5.5 percent, the plan sparked a vigorous debate among Patch readers. Patch has had more than 100 reader comments on our story that asked people to take our poll, then share their thoughts on Dayton's tax and budget plan. Here's a sampling of some of the comments: George P. Burdell: A simplistic response to this comment would then be; Democrats want to clean out our wallets and institute socialisim... which really worked well for the USSR...hmmm. Brad Koehn: I'll be curious to see if Minnesotans spend enough on clothing worth more than $100 to bring in $2B in revenue. I'm a bit …
Sunday, January 27, 2013
In other headlines from around the region last week, South Metro school districts are losing students to open enrollment, and Shakopee makes a guest appearance on 'Saturday Night Live.'
You can't be in front of your computer 24 hours a day, so each weekend, Patch reviews the top recent headlines from throughout the South Metro region. Here's a look at last week's stories, which first appeared on this site or those of our neighbors, that may interest you or affect your life. To read the full stories, click on the headline links. UPDATE: Death Toll Now at 75, But Flu On The Wane Across Minnesota Department of Health says there were an additional 15 deaths last week, but that number of people hospitalized with flu-like symptoms has fallen dramatically. Authorities Identify Apple Valley Woman Killed in Savage Crash Authorities are still investigating an accident that left a 35-year-old south metro woman dead Wednesday morning…
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Gov. Mark Dayton's $38 billion proposal would expand sales taxes on certain items and services and boost education funding.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton's $38 billion budget plan drew a mixed response from Dakota County legislators this week, with Republicans decrying proposed tax and spending increases, while Democrats lauded Dayton's focus on school funding. Released Tuesday, the two-year budget plan raises roughly $2.1 billion in revenue by implementing sales taxes on haircuts, car repairs and high-end clothing sales, among other specific products and services. An income tax hike for married filers making more than $250,000 of taxable income annually and single filers earning more than $150,000 is also included in the proposal, as is a tax hike on cigarettes. But corporate taxes would drop 14 percent under the proposal, and all homeowners would get a $500 …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Take our poll; then click on to our Patch stories below to see what legislators and others are saying.
Gov. Mark Dayton this week unveiled a proposed state budget and tax plan that would, among other things, lower Minnesota's sales tax from 6.875 percent to 5.5 percent but broaden it to cover more items such as higher-priced clothing, car repairs and other services. In his quest to avoid a projected $1.1 billion revenue shortfall, Dayton said his plan also includes raising the income on some groups of taxpayers (such as the state's 2 percent of highest-income earners). He is proposing to reduce property taxes and cut the corporate tax rate on businesses. (To see a Patch story and UpTake video of Dayton's speech, click on this link.) Bottom line: The governor said he wants to provide property tax relief, boost funding for K-12 education, …
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Real men not only wear pink, but have fought the fight against breast cancer. This weekend, men can join the popular women's cause against breast cancer at the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Conference in St. Paul.
Breast cancer isn’t just about pink ribbons anymore. Despite the common perception that women are only affected by breast cancer, thousands of men are also diagnosed with the disease each year. In fact, approximately 2,190 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among men in 2012, according to the American Cancer Society. In addition, approximately 410 men will die from breast cancer this year. A Pledge invites men in the community, corporate leaders, political figures and entrepreneurs to step up and pledge to raise awareness for breast cancer by supporting the 11th Annual Twin Cities Breast Cancer Awareness Conference alongside their spouse, sister, daughter or mother. The conference is set for Saturday, Oct. 6 in St. Paul…
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Letter writer asks fellow constituents to vote "no" on Roz Peterson’s "brand of extreme politics."
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Thursday, September 27, 2012
To the editor: I think we can all agree that with this election the stakes are high. Our schools are strapped for money. Our economy has not fully recovered. And we have a government whose extreme partisan politics have left it broken. I’m looking for someone to represent my family and community in the legislature who will work in a civil, bi-partisan way to meet the challenges that face our state. We need someone committed to end the legislative gridlock and extreme partisanship we’ve seen over the past two years that led to the longest government shutdown in Minnesota history, holding our economy back from further progress. Looking into our state house candidates, I came across a YouTube clip from Roz Peterson’s speech at the local …
Saturday, June 30, 2012
The county could get money to recover from a severe storm that ripped through on June 19, damaging roads, uprooting trees and inundating the Miesville Ravine Park Reserve.
Dakota County is in the running for $1.4 million in federal disaster relief to help defray the cost of cleanup after a severe thunderstorm rolled through the south metro last week. At the outset, it was believed that the county's damages exceeded $2 million, according to a report from the Star Tribune. The storm prompted a deluge at Trout Brook and the Cannon River, washing way large portions of the boardwalk and three miles of trails at the Miesville Ravine Park Reserve. Elsewhere, flood waters swept away roadways, while high winds took down trees and powerlines leaving 100,000 without power. Statewide, it is believed that damages total almost $109 million, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. However, the dollar figure for damage in …
Joshua
1:30 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Like I said; if minimum wage does not match inflation, then it should be removed since it serves no purpose. more ›