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MDE EXCLUSIVE: DFLERS MAY HAVE MADE A CRITICAL MISTAKE IN THEIR BIG, HONKING TRANSPORTATION TAX BILL
By Michael B. Brodkorb | April 14, 2008
DFL legislative leaders were so excited to ram through their massive transportation/transit bill, which contained $6.6 billion in tax increases, that it looks like they make a critical mistake they are now trying to correct regarding a key provision in that bill on license tab fees.
A component of the DFL transit plan (in addition to a gas tax hike, a new excise tax, a metro sales tax increase and a car rental tax increase) was an increase in the fees on license tabs:
“The legislation also will license tab fees on vehicles, particularly luxury cars; hire 40 state troopers, and help repair the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s headquarters in St. Paul. The tab fee increase will not affect vehicles previously registered in Minnesota.” Source: Star Tribune, February 26, 2008
An informational flyer from the Republican Party of Minnesota about the DFL transportation tax increase bill stated that “[t]ax increase for tabs is estimated at $1.979 BILLON over ten years.”
Sounds like the usual DFL plan, right? But DFLers were sloppy when they wrote the bill, and unclear language within it suggests that the increased license tab fees might only be collected for one year:
“EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment, and applies to any annual additional tax for a registration period that starts on or after September 1, 2008, through August 31, 2009.” Source: HF 2800, 4th Engrossment, 15.19 – 15.21
DFLers have apparently said they meant those dates to apply to the registration period for license tabs, not to the dates when the increased tab fees would be collected. It’s uncertain if the matter went to a court whether they would side with DFLers who say the legislative intent was to permanently increase tab fees or if a strict interpretation would limit their tab fee increase to the period in the statute.
The ambiguity has caused DFLers to insert language into the 2008 Transportation Policy Bill to try to clear up the confusion.
Language buried in HF 3800, would correct the DFL’s embarrassing mistake. HF 3800 says:
“Sec. 6. Laws 2008, chapter 152, article 3, section 1, the effective date, is amended to read
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment, and applies to any annual additional tax for a registration period that starts on or after September 1, 2008, through August 31, 2009.” Source: HF 3800, 1st Engrossment, 58.33 – 59.3
Please note that the language changes proposed in HF 3800, would remove August 31, 2009 as the end date mentioned in the override transportation bill.
Please stay tuned to Minnesota Democrats Exposed for any further developments regarding the DFL’s mistake on tab fees.
Topics: Uncategorized | 66 Comments »
66 Responses to “MDE EXCLUSIVE: DFLERS MAY HAVE MADE A CRITICAL MISTAKE IN THEIR BIG, HONKING TRANSPORTATION TAX BILL”
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April 14th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
So, let me get this straight – there’s still a chance to get rid of the registration increase?
Is that what I’m hearing?
April 14th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
One has to wonder: 1. Is the DFL competent at anything? and 2. Is this the ONLY mistake they made in that stinker of a bill?
April 14th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
2punk’s clueless question is pretty funny, given the fact that this exclusive deals with Democrats that were not sharp enough to proof read their own legislation!
Why are Democrats so utterly dull-witted?
We should expect our Republican legislators to extract a few woderful spending cuts from the hapless, Democrat bunglers in exchange for passing the amendment without a dragged out battle.
Nice.
April 14th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
That would be “wonderful” spending cuts, of course.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
So, this is the big story that you promised? This sort of thing happens with embarassing frequency and it happens to both DFL and Republican legislators! Every session, there are bills to “clarify” language from previous session or to “clean up” a piece of legislation when mistakes or inconsistancies are found afterword.
Members of both houses from both parties and the professionals who staff both houses do their very best to make sure that language is clean and clear and reflects what is meant to be said but, every now and then some stuff doesn’t caught or corrected and has to be “cleaned up”!
This is not news!
April 14th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I’d just as soon see that amendment fail.
I always thought the tab increase was wrong. If it could be made to go away, I’d be a happy camper.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Swiftee
It’s not easy for liberals to read a bill, especially when they have dollar signs in their eyes!!
Of course, we’ve heard nothing from the mainstream media on this issue. That giggly dame from channel 2 and her media colleagues are approaching a new level of uselessness. And when will that hag editorial writer from the Star and Tribune weigh in here?
April 14th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
“And when will that hag editorial writer…”
Kersten’s gettin’ her talkin’ points as we speak.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
This is the news story you promised?
This sort of thing happens fairly often! Every session sees bills submitted to “clarify” or to “clean up” language from the previous sessions. It happens to both DFL and Republican legislators; it happened when Republicans controlled the House and it will happen when the DFL controls the House!
Members both houses from both parties, together with their professional staff do their very best to make sure that language is clear, free of errors and says what was meant to be said. But, sometimes stuff makes it through and has to be corrected.
We expect a lot out of our legislators and their staff but asking them to be mistake free is asking an awful lot!
April 14th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
IT seems that PAW CLAWS could have only SEMI-crucified the HOT HALF-DOZEN.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Jim, you don’t understand. This is huge over here.
This will require the legislature to essentially re-vote on this particularly egregious increase of the financial burden this state is placing on the people of Minnesota.
Remember, the last time this vote was taken, there was a significant amount of candy placed out there for the 6 Republicans who supported the override of Governor Pawlenty’s veto.
They got their candy.
What a great opportunity for them to vote against increasing this fee, without losing a project in their district.
Legislative drafting errors may happen from time to time, but rarely on highly controversial bills (you know, the type that require getting people to brake ranks with their own party’s governor) like this one.
Why Jim, do you think DFL leaders tried to sneak this change in? Because they are embarrassed, and because there is a good chance this won’t pass.
And I hope it doesn’t. There should have been a sunset on the whole tax increase package (setting aside that it shouldn’t have passed in the first place).
Great find Mr. Brodkorb.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Jim, this is no longer a bill…the Democrat bunglers shoved it down our throats as law already.
Remember the “override six” you folks were congratulating? Yeah, well, this is what they sacrificed their political careers to get put through.
Unless the bunglers convince enough Republicans to play ball with them (and very best of luck with that), the tab increase portion of the Democrat taxapolooza will expire next year.
I would think a big, fat, juicy tax that ends after only one year because of a botched job would be more important to a Democrat, but maybe you didn’t understand what is going on….lot of that going around Democrat circles these days, heh.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Hey Mike…are your ears burning?
Hahaha!
April 14th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
“…the tab increase portion of the Democrat taxapolooza will expire next year.”
Works for me. Works for a whole bunch of folk. Shouldn’t have been in there in the first place.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
el presidente’s comments continually miss the fairway of cleverness and wit, and instead, plug in the bunker of nonsense.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
This is huge. If it stays in the bill it will tank luxury car sales for the next year, people will just wait it out. I can buy a new Lexuas in late 2009 when I’ll pay less taxes. It will quickly turn any Democrat luxury car dealers into Republicans.
Some people aren’t smart enough to understand the impact.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
You sure do get all excited every time a clerical error occurs. I bet this is worth at least three or four additional unique threads.
Capitol Insider is proving what a fraud he/she is by saying that this is a big deal at the capitol. I spent most of the day there, and in dozens of conversations with lobbyists, staff and legislators, heard not a peep of this. And anyone who has spent more than 10 minutes at the capitol knows that each year the Revisors office authors a bill that is written entirely for the purpose of, “correcting erroneous, ambiguous, and omitted text and obsolete references; eliminating certain redundant, conflicting, and superseded provisions; making miscellaneous technical corrections to statutes and other laws”
If y’all want to keep believing this is news. feel free. But the second Ron Carey issues his press release on it, you will know just how totally baseless this “controversy” truly is.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I hear this might not be the only boo-boo the Democrats made in that bill. If that’s true, it does indeed go way beyond simple revisor’s mistakes.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I’m glad you’ve managed to catch up with the rest of us, 2punk. Now stop polishing your K-Mart war hero medals and keep up with the group.
This works for me too…tax cut and the fact that this unscheduled sunset = BIG, MESSY FAIL for the Democrat bunglers is sweet!
April 14th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Swiftee, I was against that tab increase from Day 1.
And if it takes a screw up to get rid of it, that’s fine by me.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Frank, doesn’t the legislature have to vote on revisions to legislation that has passed?
Removing a sunset clause is not just “cleaning up verbage”, it’s a major revision.
Do you think the Democrat bunglers will get a second bite at this apple? Wanna bet?
April 14th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Well tommy, if screw-ups are your thing, you’re on the right team!
April 14th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Why is it I think Comrade Puddles is planning on buying a new vehicle sometime soon?
April 14th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Again Frank, those mistakes you speak of aren’t normally on one of the single most controversial and publicized bills of the session. Extraordinary care is typically taken to get it right on those bills that anger people by their very nature.
I spend a significant time at the Capitol too Frances, and among Republicans and Democrats, this is a topic of discussion.
Vulnerable Democrat members now have to take a separate vote to increase a the financial burden in a way even Two Putt disagrees with. They won’t want to do this.
And if the vulnerable freshmen in the DFL don’t want to cast this vote, imagine the consternation by the six Republicans!
April 14th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
“Why is it I think Comrade Puddles is planning on buying a new vehicle sometime soon?”
Because you like bein’ wrong, rePete.
April 14th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
CI, it’s a slam-dunk vote for The Override Six. They vote against it.
It’s gut-check time for everyone in the DFL.
I’m not the only one that was mightily displeased with the tag increase. The gas tax had to go up. Tags didn’t. They should NOT have been in there.
I’m sure I won’t be the only one callin’ and sayin’ the tags bites the dust after one year.
April 14th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Yes, the writing in this bill does bring into question the competence of the DFL, although many of us have questioned that for a long time.
Along the same lines, look at the way the Democrat Primary has been run, super delegates=elitists who can change the popular vote, two large states whose votes don’t count = can you say “disenfranchisement”. And some people want to put the Dems in charge of the Country again?!
April 14th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
patriot, no one can (cheney) up this country any worse that republiCons already have.
republiCons campaign on the platform government doesn’t work; then they get elected and prove it.
The GOP deserves permanent minority status as they have proven they are incapable of leading.
They make nasty little ankle-biters, and that’s what they’re best used for.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Okay who is pretending to be two putt tommy here? The two putt tommy on this post is talking about not wanting to have a tab increase here. The real two putt Tommy went to a DFL convention and is proud to support an extreme left wing liberal for Congress, let alone US Senate, and I assume he supports that Presidential candidate that doesn’t think highly of people who believe in God, want to have guns, and thinks that the best government is one that doesn’t inferfer with their lifes.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
April 14th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I don’t see how anyone can say this won’t be fun to watch.
Imagine Freshman Representatives like Bunn, Woolschlager, Swails, Masin and Madore having to stand up a second time and say to the moms in their districts who purchase these vehicles, “I voted to make it extremely expensive to fill up that mini-van when you bring the kids to hockey. Now, a year of high tab fees on that mini-van isn’t enough, so I’m going to vote to increase that forever.”
How do they go to the voters in their districts after that?
April 14th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Must be just another “clerical error”. Was Angry Al involved in writing this bill?
April 14th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Anyone who thinks the override six don’t vote for this bill a second time after the republicans stripped them of leadership, and with mixed results, endorsements, is delusional at best.
If they had to vote on the entire bill again (which they don’t), I am convinced that the margin by which the override occurred spreads, now that republicants see that the public overwhelmingly favors the bill.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
“the public overwhelmingly favors the bill.”
Who’s ass did you pull that out of.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
No kidding. Was that a poll taken at a DFL convention or something?
April 14th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Yawn.
They pay you how much to produce this snoozefest, Mikey?
April 14th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Does anyone here believe that if MDE wouldn’t have exposed this colossal screw up that the DFL wouldn’t have attempted to slide this in as a “non-controversial technical mistake” of some sort?
This is a big deal on its face, but it is an even bigger deal because now there is no way this increase in the tab fee will happen without a very public debate.
Opponents of this provision like Phil Krinkie, TwoPuttTommy and all of the other allies on this issue will get to see exactly who believes we should be paying more to register our vehicles (without all of the candy that CI noted earlier).
April 14th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
I have it on a very good authority that House Republicans—included some of the override 6— are going to fight against this.
The cool thing is that there is a bunch of other garbage in this bill that should be vetoed. The tax increase veto is just icing on the cake!
April 14th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
It’s sad that were it not for MDE, this issue would never get the light of day.
The mainstream press is either too lazy or too biased to bring this up. Instead, they report that this Sertich guy was challenged by Pawlenty. Big deal. If that’s a story, then the press has reached an all-time low here. Pathetic really.
April 14th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
“Imagine Freshman Representatives like Bunn, Woolschlager, Swails, Masin and Madore having to stand up ”
Shelley Madore messed up that bill more than anyone with her amendment that “accidentally” cut millions in road funding. will they try to fix that? I think there is a lot more for MDE to dig up relating to this whopping tax increase.
April 14th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Hello….is the mainstream media going to do ANY reporting on this issue?
April 14th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
“Hello….is the mainstream media going to do ANY reporting on this Hello….is the mainstream media going to do ANY reporting on this issue?”
Why should they? Michael’s got it covered….
April 14th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
What does it say about the DFL when they can’t even raise our taxes without screwing stuff up?
April 14th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Perhaps PAW CLAWS could have used only one (1) PAW to CLAW the HOT HALF-DOZEN.
If a stitch in time saves nine (9) perhaps PAW CLAWS still has time before the PRIMARY ELECTIONS to make good and save the HOT HALF-DOZEN.
April 14th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
The HOT-HALF DOZEN can run in the PRIMARY ELECTIONS on NO REGISTRATION INCREASE (NRI).
April 14th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Girard, talkin’ about screw-ups like that, when your standard bearer is Boy Blunder, is why reasonable people don’t believe you any more.
April 14th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Why would MSM cover this?
If they wrote about every technical correction ever made, there would be no room for anything else. Last years revisors bill contained dozen of corrections like this on bills fronted by members on both sides of the aisle.
In addition to a story about technical errors in legislation, there are a number of other similar stories Michael should further investigate:
1) Sun rises daily in the east.
2) Gravity keeps humans from floating into space.
3) Water is frequently wet, sometimes frozen.
4) Republicans distrust Democrats, and vice versa.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Nice try Nick. This ain’t a technical correct. You DFL clowns have to remind voters you are raising taxes….again.
You have to vote to override the Governor…AGAIN.
I’m sure your vulnerable members appreciate being dragged through the mud of tax increases a 2nd time.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Nice try Nicky boy, mostly wishful thinking – this is big and no spin will change that!!
April 14th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Not understanding the legislative process is no reason to pretend you do.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
NrthWester, I’m sure they won’t.
I put up with the tabs, because they were stuck in there with the gas, which clearly needed to be raised. I didn’t like it, but the alternative of no bill was worse.
Now, it looks like it’ll be a stand-alone deal – and I’d bet it gets tossed.
The reason politicians from BOTH sides stick stuff in bills that don’t belong there is so when they toss the bad in with the good, it’ll get passed.
It’s like when they did referendums here several years ago as stand alones; they all went down.
So they came back with them packaged together, and they passed.
I’ll go out on a limb here, and predict that a permanent increase on the tabs won’t fly, this year.
April 15th, 2008 at 1:25 am
PAW CLAWS (PC) did NOT LINE ITEM VETO (LIV) the REGISTRATION INCREASE (RI).
Perhaps PC did not LIV the RI because he was to focused on clawing apart the HHD (Hot Half-Dozen).
April 15th, 2008 at 6:04 am
el presidente, every once in a while, I think you may have an ounce of intelligence. Then you post something as stupid as comment #51.
I guess you’re right, he didn’t line item veto the registration increase. Do you know why?
BECAUSE HE VETOED THE WHOLE GODDAM BILL.
Which, by the way, happened before the “half-dozen” helped to fuck up the state economy with the DFLs punishing taxes.
April 15th, 2008 at 6:37 am
Not only that, he can’t line-item the registration increase. Perhaps el presidente could outline the powers of the line-item for us?
This is way, way more than a simple technical mistake. Tip. Of. The. Iceberg.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:59 am
I’m a Democrat, but I have to admit that our leadership really messed this one up. There is no way we can force our vulnerable members to go walk the plank on an unpopular tax increase a second time. Especially in an election year. I’m sure my fellow Democrats in Minneapolis/St. Paul are fine with it, but things are a little bit different in Woodbury and elsewhere. Democrats don’t get 90% of the vote in Circle Pines.
We will just have to wait until 2009 and see if the Republicans will help us with this.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Well, I’m a Democrat, and I’m GLAD this one got messed up.
Those tabs shouldn’t have been jacked in the first place.
“I belong to no organized party; I’m a Democrat.”
And proud of it.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:32 am
It seems to me that if the Republicans in the House can force a separate vote on the license tab issue, it would put many first-term DFL legislators in the uncomfortable position of having a recorded vote on a license tab increase.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:06 am
If this were such a big deal Marty Seifert would have called a press conference by now. Ron Carey would have issued 5 press releases. MB would have posted “Exclusive Update #12″ by now.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:17 am
I’m guessing the GOP leadership is quietly squashing the juice out of the bungling Democrats.
We’re gonna get some good stuff out of that pulp; or maybe more correctly said, we will be spared some bad stuff.
This is why MDE is the most valuable weapon in the war on Democrat excess on the internet.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:33 am
NotSoSwiftly, you’re the most valuable weapon for the Democrats in the war of showing the GOP is filled with extremist rightwingnuts.
Where little stones is just silly, you’re certifiable.
Keep up the good work!
April 15th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Comrade Puddles, That the DFL pays people like you to comment for them says it all. They have no interest in doing what is good for the state or the party. Its all about the party for you guys. It is people like you that will lead many people back to the right this year – thank you.
April 15th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Pete is exactly right and puddles knows it.
Puddles, talk about silly, that would be you my friend.
Knowing full well this is the only blog where you get any attention says it all.
I invite anyone to go look at tommy’s blog and be sure to do what everyone else does and that is leave no comments.
Which would be because puddles is a total joke and party hack who we all know full well is paid to be here and post.
Which is why he is such a chicken shit to take the Coleman / Franken bet. Still just could not live with the thought of not being able to post here puddles?
I understand this site give you a little taste of what it could mean to be important and have people care what you think. 
Too bad liberals are not able to do that on their own blogs. Well you have places like MN democRat underground and MN pooplius but then they have to ban pthers with different views as we all know liberals are not able to win an argument on merit.
April 15th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Typical Frightened RightWingNutJob Guy,
Only four
??!?
How are you supposed to convince folk you’re really little stones with only four
??!?
April 15th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
twoputt, puddles, el pres, frank alan, yoni,..
is that the best you can come back with anymore?
Did you really think you wrote differently enough in your posts that we would not figure you are all the names that agree with you?
Are you now paid by how many names you can post under?
Still puddles, you just cannot seem to bring yourself to answer why you will not take the Coleman / Franken bet?
Still afraid this is the only place you have that anyone will pay any attention to you little fella?
April 15th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
[...] According to my capitol sources, the plotting has begun on how to respond to the DFL’s critical mistake they made in their big, honking transportation & tax bill. [...]
April 15th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
The bigger they come, the harder they fall Big Kahuna.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
[...] when lefties are qualified to lecture the rest of us about numbers, we won’t see stories like this. Give it up,lefties; leave the counting to the [...]