Governor Dayton releases revised budget: Removes B2B services tax
Governor Dayton released a revised budget that no longer calls for a business-to-business services tax. Small Business Minnesota met with the Governor’s lead, Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans, on the original budget to express our concerns and offer alternatives.
We also testified before the House tax committee and, along with members like you, wrote to legislators.
The Small Business Minnesota proposal was outlined in a letter sent to the Governor.
Working to ensure Minnesota’s health insurance exchange is small-business friendly
Early this morning, the House passed the final Minnesota health insurance exchange bill, also called the Minnesota insurance marketplace.
Under the federal Affordable Care Act, every state must have a health insurance exchange. Small Business Minnesota worked to ensure the exchange would best meet the needs of small businesses being crushed under the weight of health insurance costs.
(See earlier newsletters and facebook postings for details on Minnesota’s Exchange.)
Small Business Minnesota achieved all three of its objectives. The voices of our small businesses, Minnesota’s largest employer, were heard:
- A strong active purchaser model that will work to ensure health insurance plans are the best quality at the best price. (Downside: it’s implementation is delayed 1-2 years).
- A strong oversight board free from conflicts of interest; those who profit from our Exchange cannot oversee our Exchange.
- The profitable insurance industry will pick up the nominal “cost of doing business,” not small business owners.
The insurance industry obtains access to 1.2 million customers, including 300,000 new customers and millions, if not billions, in new sales.
Many of you shared your stories which we then shared in testimony before more than a dozen House and Senate committees. We also met with legislators one-on-one and wrote letters along with other Small Business Minnesota members.
Our news conference at the Capitol was captured by several media outlets and seen on TV. Finally, just before the last committee meeting, this op-ed appeared in the Star Tribune and was referenced during House floor debate.
The Senate votes on the bill Monday Mar 18th before sending it to the Governor’s office where, if signed, it becomes law. Please write to your senator and ask that they keep the three vital provisions in place.
