The tax bill defines a bingo hall as a place where an organization “regularly conducts bingo if that organizations gets half of its revenue from bingo “or” no other organization conducts lawful gambling”.
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Earlier in the day, Dayton signed the $300 million supplemental budget bill, resolving one of the outstanding issues from the legislative session, which ended May 23. “I’m going to take his word that he’s going to be reasonable”.
That third component – a sales tax exemption for materials used in construction of the plant that would provide an estimated $9.8 million benefit over three years – is critical to the project, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board Commissioner Mark Phillips said in a telephone interview.
In addition to feeling cut out of last-minute budget negotiations in 2015, Dayton was repeatedly rebuffed by legislative leaders when he called for numerous special sessions over the a year ago, on everything from a walleye shortage at Lake Mille Lacs to extending unemployment benefits for miners.
“We should listen to Minnesotans, roll up our sleeves and get to work”, Thissen said.
The metro transit funding request has been supported by even the GOP-leaning Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. And will it come before Dayton’s Monday deadline to sign the bill? Republican leaders have told the Star Tribune that they think they can hold out a little bit, and that Dayton won’t overplay his hand by not calling a legislative session. Dayton isn’t running this year, or ever again, but only he has the power to call them back. “We need to do more research on those items”, Daudt said.
Daudt said in a letter to the governor that Republicans and DFLers agree with the language changes, so Dayton can go ahead and sign the tax bill. “I have concerns that will prevent a special session from happening”, Miller said. While only the governor can call lawmakers into a special session, only those legislators can decide when they are finished.
But Dayton said he wants the surety of legislative action to correct the problem.
With that final bullet point, Dayton said he “must have … assurances that they will be included without changes” in any bill or bills passed during the special session.
More importantly, Daudt said he was willing to work out a broader deal on taxes, bonding and transportation. Just previous year, rank-and-file lawmakers moved to amend budget bills during the June special session – against an agreement leaders struck with Dayton – and the whole thing almost unraveled. “It is not fair, and I can not agree to it”. House Minority Leader Paul Thissen said he could put his signature on an agreement that included the items on Dayton’s list, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk said numerous priorities are “ones shared by DFL senators”.
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Included in the bill was Minnesota United’s request for a property tax exemption for the stadium site at Interstate 94 and Snelling Avenue. “And [I] hope this sets a good tone for special session negotiations”.
