ST. PAUL, Minn. – Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis) and Senate Tax Chair Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope) said today that the Senate Tax Committee took up two DFL measures to provide significant funding to both support local public safety efforts and to relieve property taxes in communities across the state.
Senators Dziedzic and Rest said the bills were widely supported by Minnesota mayors and county commissioners, as well as public safety officials who told the tax panel Thursday that the efforts would keep their communities safer and lower property taxes across the state.
“Minnesotans have repeatedly told us that they want to be safe in their communities, and they want help dealing with rising property taxes, and the Tax Committee today moved forward on these two Senate DFL priorities,” said Majority Leader Dziedzic, a member of the Tax Committee. “Helping families and communities will remain top priorities for Senate DFLers.”
The $300 million public safety measure authored by Senators Heather Gustafson (DFL-Vadnais Heights), Aric Putnam (DFL-St. Cloud), Rob Kupec (DFL-Moorhead), and Judy Seeberger (DFL-Afton) provides all local and tribal governments with funds that could be used to pay for public safety personnel and other efforts to enhance public safety.
The second measure authored by Senators Matt Klein (DFL-Mendota Heights), Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown), Nick Frentz (DFL-North Mankato), and Rob Kupec (DFL Moorhead), provides $150 million in both county programs and in local government aid for cities that will allow them to provide property tax relief for their communities.
Tax Committee Chair Rest said the two bills will be considered for inclusion in the final tax bill in the coming weeks.
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