Zellers Wants Expanded Special Session

Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders reached a deal on Monday to convene a special session in order to provide disaster relief—but not a repeal of three new business-to-business taxes.

That was a deal that Maple Grove Rep. Kurt Zellers (R-District 34B) wasn’t happy with. He released the following statement about the special session Wednesday morning: 

“Minnesotans deserve timely action by Governor Dayton and the legislature to address two disasters.  The first was the storm damage and flooding in late June.  The second was the man-made disaster in May in the form of half-baked, ill-considered tax policies approved by Governor Dayton.

“The special session's agenda should include repeal of the warehousing tax so Minnesota job-creators have certainty in making future business decisions. The legislature should also rescind the telecommunications sales tax which inhibits new investment and job growth, and the agricultural capital equipment repair tax which is a gratuitous slap at our state's farmers.

“Governor Dayton cannot control Mother Nature and prevent the damage she does.  But he can prevent -- in fact, he has a duty to prevent -- further damage to our state's economy.  There is no defensible reason why repeal of these outrageously bad taxes cannot be addressed in the special session.”