Rep. Bob Dettmer
Guest Columnist

The transportation funding proposal that passed the House on Thursday includes numerous tax increases directly aimed at Minnesota families. The bill includes a gas tax increase, a sales tax increase, a wheelage fee, increased license tab fees, and many other increases. What the bill does not do is take a hard look at our overall spending priorities, and instead looks to draw more water from the taxpayer’s well.

I did not support this bill and I will vote to sustain Gov. Pawlenty’s veto. I believe these proposals to increase your taxes simply go too far. With a struggling economy and already high gas prices, the day to day burden on many families is already heavy enough in just making ends meet. I fear that these tax increases will simply be too much.

I agree that there needs to be a solution to funding our transportation system, but it needs to be a solution that does not come at additional expense to the taxpayers. The proposal that passed makes no effort to institute any reforms. What the proposal does do is offer us a “choice” between a massive tax increase and no transportation funding plan.  The bill simply rejects any effort to consider alternative methods for increasing revenue to our transportation system or to re-prioritize existing funding.

At the beginning of last session that state budget was in surplus of $2.2 billion dollars, and yet transportation funding received very little while an unsustainable funding increase of 35 percent was passed for health and human services.  Far too often transportation takes a back seat to other areas of the state budget that quite frankly do not have the same impact and importance on our day to day lives. This needs to change.

Unfortunately, the majority in the House has repeatedly stated their proposal to raise taxes is the only transportation funding bill that will be considered this session. There was no consideration given to a House Republican plan that looked to re-prioritize existing funding along with bonding for roads and bridges. There was no effort to work with the governor on plan that boosts transportation funding in a manner that all can support. So in the end we are left with a transportation plan that relies on digging deeper into your pockets.  With gas already $3 per gallon gas, a cloudy economic climate, and a looming state budget deficit now is not the time to further the burden on the taxpayers of Minnesota.

Thus the fate of this tax-raising proposal will come down to an uncertain vote to override the governor’s veto.  If this override attempt is successful, Minnesota families will see the government reach further into the family budget. With a looming budget deficit, I fear that this will not be the only time this legislative session that the government will be looking to take more from hard working Minnesotans.

Dettmer serves House District 52A which includes the Forest Lake, Scandia, Columbus and Linwood areas. He lives in Forest Lake. He may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 651-296-4124. Mail should be sent to 329 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.

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