On Tuesday, May 7, the Minnesota Senate passed the 2024 Omnibus Tax bill. The bill is primarily a collection of tax breaks for local projects and does not include permanent tax relief for the average Minnesotan. 

“Last year, the Senate majority passed nearly $10 billion in tax hikes, in addition to spending the entire $19 billion surplus,” said Senator Gary Dahms (R ‒ Redwood Falls). “Minnesota families are feeling the negative impacts of one-party control, and they need immediate financial relief. Senate Republicans believe that meaningful and permanent tax relief must be a priority.” 

The tax bill contains some positive legislation including tax credits for career and technical education, job development, and sales tax exemptions for local projects. However, the bill also includes several controversial items like prevailing wage requirements and burdensome employer requirements. This legislation also drains the Taconite Assistance Area funds to support unvetted projects. 

Republicans sought to improve the bill by offering a key amendment to repeal the e-pull-tabs language from the 2023 tax bill. This 2023 change threatens charities across Minnesota. When it goes into effect in 2025, it will leave countless American Legions, children’s sports, Lions Clubs, and VFWs struggling to raise the revenue they rely on. The Senate Majority ruled the Republican amendment not germane to the bill. 

The bill now awaits a vote by the Minnesota House of Representatives. 

Senator Dahms is in his fifth term representing Senate District 15 which includes communities in Blue Earth, Brown, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood, and Yellow Medicine counties. He also serves as the Republican Lead on the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee and is a member of the Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee and Finance Committee.