Why Is MN In Minority In Raising Taxes?
370 views · Published 13 May 2011 · 2:07 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: The Uptake by Bridgemakers · 2011 · News & Politics
Senator Geoff Michel answers a question from Star Tribune reporter Lori Sturdevant who has researched state government tax increases. Sturdevant reports that most states have raised taxes in the last four years. Minnesota has not. Senator Michel says Republicans won the 2010 election because they promised no tax increases. Lori Sturdevant: (I know you've said) other states are not raising taxes, but I've looked at what other states have done in the last six years, and the majority of them, 38 or 39 of them have raised taxes, general taxes at some point in the last four years. Minnesota has not. I don't think I've heard you respond to that difference. Senator Geoff Michel: Well, so we've been, we, we put a lot of research into this, Lori, and I know you did too. We looked back to last November. So November of 2010 when a ah, pretty big election happened, and across the country people were elected, ah, to reduce spending and to try to find a new way, other than tax and spend. And so since November, obviously you have a lot of new faces here in St. Paul, you have a lot of new Governors and you have, ah, states across the country that all facing budget deficits. They may have done something six years ago, ah, but what are they doing now? What are they doing since the last time, uh, the voters spoke? They are cutting spending. They are learning how to do things differently. They are setting priorities. And we strongly believe that's what Minnesota voters, Minnesota taxpayers want and expect out of St. Paul. So I think it is important, and I think it is instructive that there are only five other Governors than Governor Dayton who have looked at this economic situation and said 'well, we're going to have to raise taxes'. As we know from the last budget forecast our revenues are going up. There's a hint of recovery, which is great. How do we sustain that? You don't sustain economic recovery by piling on more taxes. That doesn't work. And 44 other states are going.... that's where we want to be. We want to be with the 44 , not with the 6. So again, we're trying to create a path here where the legislature and the Governor can come to an agreement on May 23rd and I , I think there's plenty of time. And I think the will is there, importantly.
