Dayton's budget will kick-start Legislature's tax debate

Gov. Dayton addresses the media.
Gov. Mark Dayton adresses the media inside the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul Jan. 24, 2017.
Evan Frost | MPR News 2017

Gov. Mark Dayton is set to release his plan to square Minnesota's tax code with federal tax breaks.

The Democratic governor was scheduled to unveil his budget proposal for lawmakers on Friday. It's likely to include extra money for Minnesota's troubled driver's registration system, funding to overhaul senior care oversight and more.

But the central focus was on Minnesota's tax code.

State officials want to match Minnesota's taxes with the federal government to avoid a logistical nightmare for tax filers next year. But they also want to offset the additional $500 million in tax revenues that would create.

Dayton and lawmakers have warned it's a complicated effort that will consume much of the legislative session. The governor indicated he'll focus his bill on helping individuals and families rather than businesses.

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