We guess we’re not surprised that, while she has been a woman in the workforce and served a Congressional staff providing constituent support, Ms. Loon isn’t in favor of helping level the playing field for women in the workforce.

MPR’s Tom Scheck has posted an article on the bill’s passage through the Minnesota House of Representatives.  In it, he documents Loon’s opposition to the bill because “it puts too many expenses on employers and could (note that … could, not would) discourage businesses from bidding on state contracts”.  (Actually, we know people who own small businesses and have had to jump over much higher hurdles than this to do business with the state.)

As part of this interview, she also stated that she thought the bill “… just may not be worth the hassle.”

We’re glad to know Ms. Loon, like Sen. Hann who is on record as not believing in wage disparity between women and men, feels that moving toward (not achieving mind you) is “a hassle.”

Of course, being married to the Regional Executive Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and being a former lobbyist for extremely pro-business organizations, we’re not surprised.  We can only hope that the people of Eden Prairie start listening what what their representative truly believes and realize she’s in the Legislature to represent business (the bigger, the better), not her constituents.

You can read the full post here.

HD48B · House District 48B · Jenifer Loon · Rep. Loon · WESA · women's economic security act

Gov. Dayton signs $508 million in tax cuts for middle class and businesses into law

Friday, March 21, Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law a $508 million tax cut that will put more money in the pockets of middle class families, individuals and thousands of businesses across Minnesota.

Since some of these tax cuts will be available immediately during this filing season, the Minnesota Department of Revenue is working with tax preparers and online tax preparation services to update tax filing software for the estimated 1.4 million Minnesotans who have not yet filed their taxes. For those Minnesotans who have already filed their taxes, the Minnesota Department of Revenue will review each tax return and determine whether adjustments and refunds can be made automatically. The Department will contact any taxpayer who will need to file an amended return to receive these new tax benefits.

Reducing taxes for middle class Minnesotans ($230M)

By conforming Minnesota’s tax code to the federal government, the new law simplifies taxes and provide tax cuts for middle class Minnesotans.

• Tax cuts for married couples: More than 650,000 married couples will save an average $115 per year through the elimination of the “marriage penalty.” This tax cut begins next year, for the 2014 income tax filing season.
• Tax cuts for working families: More than 16,000 more middle class families will qualify for the Working Family Tax Credit, and everyone who qualifies for the credit will receive an increase.
• Tax cuts for parents: More than 25,000 families who qualify for child care tax credits will see an average increase in their tax credit of $74 per year.
• Tax cuts for students: More than 285,000 recent college graduates could save up to $190 per year by deducting their student loan interest. Another 40,000 current college students and parents will receive a tuition deduction of $140 per year, on average.
• Tax cuts for small employers: Small businesses will be able to offer their employees tax-free tuition and adoption assistance. The tax bill signed by Governor Dayton today also simplifies small business taxes by eliminating requirements to maintain separate records for federal taxes.
• Additional tax cuts: These middle class tax cuts will also help seniors, teachers, and homeowners. More information about these tax cuts is available on the Governor’s website.

Reducing business sales taxes ($232M)

Three business-to-business taxes passed during the 2013 Legislative Session have been repealed.

• Electronic, farm and commercial equipment repair tax: The sales tax on repair and maintenance of electronic and commercial equipment has been repealed. This includes repair and maintenance of farm equipment.
• Warehousing and storage services tax: The warehousing sales tax that was set to take effect on April 1, 2014, has been repealed.
• Telecommunications equipment tax: The sales tax on telecommunications equipment has been repealed.

Tax credits for innovation and jobs ($3M)

The new law provides additional tax credits to fuel innovation and create jobs.

• Angel Investor Tax Credit: Another $3 million in Angel Investor Tax Credits will be available for startup businesses and entrepreneurs this year. This measure also provides $15 million for the program in 2015, and $15 million in 2016. A recent report showed this tax credit has already created 500 new jobs and spurred over $100 million of new private investment in Minnesota’s economy.
• Additional business tax relief: Businesses large and small would benefit from additional business tax reductions and credits included in this tax plan. More details about which businesses would benefit from additional tax cuts is available on the Governor’s website.

Simplifying the Estate Tax & Eliminating the Gift Tax ($43M)

The new tax law enacted simplifies the estate tax and eliminates the gift tax, providing millions of dollars in additional tax relief for Minnesotans.

• Eliminates the gift tax.
• Simplifies the estate tax: The estate tax has been simplified, raising the exemption from $1 million to $2 million – the first exemption increase enacted in over a decade.

When the Republicans, including Sen. Hann and Rep. Loon, were in charge of the legislature in 2011, they refused to compromise and protected wealthy Minnesotans at a cost to our schools, most vulnerable citizens and property tax payers.

2014 Omnibus tax bill · David Hann · HD48B · House District 48B · Jenifer Loon · jobs · middle class tax cut · reduced business sales taxes · Rep. Loon · sd48 · Sen. Hann · Senate District 48 · simplifying taxes · tax credits

Live on the B-side of our senate district? Wonder how Rep. Jenifer Loon has voted? We’re lucky to be able to check out her key votes with Project Vote Smart.

You can check out her votes here.

HD48B · House District 48B · Jenifer Loon · key votes · Rep. Loon · voting record