Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Minnesota House District 11B
	Representative Mary Ellen Otremba (DFL) http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/ (web) rep.maryellen.otremba@house.mn (email) Write this official!
	Capital Address: Room 445 State Office Building 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd St. Paul MN 55155 (651) 296-3201 (phone) (651) 296-4165 (fax)	District Address: 21616 Ginseng Road Long Prairie MN 563474753 (320) 732-6201 (phone)

2008 State House Voting Record
Description	Preferred Position	This official's vote compared with the preferred position
TRANSPORTATION: Roads, Highways and Transit are the arteries that move our state’s lifeblood of people, products and resources. Minnesota has one of the largest networks of highways in the country and our congestion rates are steadily increasing. For nearly two decades we have not had a serious investment in transportation funding. This bill provides the funding Minnesota needs to stay on the road to prosperity. Specifically, this bill brought the gas tax to comparable levels of neighboring states, increased transit funding with a 0.0025 metro sales tax, and established a taskforce to ensure Minnesota gets the best value for dollars spent on roads and transit.	Y
TAXES – This amendment focused on keeping Minnesota companies more competitive within the global economy. It provided incentives for Minnesota based employers to deduct any foreign royalties they receive – an attractive incentive for companies looking to operate in Minnesota – and reestablished language that had previously been negotiated on Foreign Operating Corporations. Both are important for keeping Minnesota competitive in the global marketplace.	Y
TAXES – This amendment increased the implementation of ‘single sales factor’ taxes to 2010. Currently, Minnesota businesses pay corporate taxes based on three things: the size of their employee payroll; the value of their facilities; and their sales in the state. Neighboring states (WI, IA, IL, MO, NE) already base their taxes solely on the amount of sales. As a result, Minnesota is less attractive as a place to locate a regional business operation. The Legislature is already phasing to a sales-factor-only process, but the faster we switch the more competitive Minnesota will be for job growth.	Y
This official's percentage on this voting record:

2007 Minnesota House Voting Record
Description	Preferred Position	This official's vote compared with the preferred position
TRANSPORTATION - H.F 946: Metro Sales Tax, DeLaForest Amendment - This amendment would have eliminated the half-cent metro area sales tax from the house transportation finance bill. The Chamber supported the amendment because the sales tax is a significant business tax. According to the Department of Revenue, businesses pay 45% of Minnesota’s sales tax. The amendment failed on a vote of 51 to 76.	Y
FISCAL - H.F. 2294: Personal Income Tax, Final Passage - This bill would have created a fourth income tax bracket at 9 percent. The Minnesota Chamber opposed the bill because the personal income tax is a small business tax. Small businesses (i.e. sole proprietors, partnerships, s-corporations and limited liability companies, etc.) flow their business income through a personal income tax return. The bill passed on a vote of 73 to 58.	N
FISCAL - H.F. 2362: Omnibus Tax Bill, Final Passage - The House omnibus tax bill created a new fourth income tax bracket at 9.0%, adopted worldwide unitary reporting for the corporate income tax, extended the phase-out of limited market value, and increased utility property classification rates. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce opposes the bill because the new fourth income tax bracket would have increased taxes on many small businesses; worldwide unitary reporting would have increased taxes and administrative burden on multinational corporations; limited market value shifts property tax burden on to business property; and increasing utility classification rates will result in increased electricity and natural gas prices for consumers. The bill passed on a vote of 74 to 59.	N
TRANSPORTATION - H.F. 946: Finance Bill, Veto Override - This is the veto override attempt on the conference committee report on the transportation funding bill. The Minnesota Chamber opposed the bill and thus the motion to override the Governor`s veto. (In the House, it takes 90 votes to override the Governor’s veto.) It failed on a vote of 83 to 50.	N
TRANSPORTATION - H.F. 946: Transportation Funding, Conference Committee Report - The conference committee report on the transportation finance bill contained a 5 cent gas tax increase, allowed for a 2.5 cent gas tax surcharge to finance the debt service of bonds, a license tab fee increase, authority to impose a one-half cent sales tax to be divided between roads and transit in the seven-county metro area, authority for greater Minnesota counties to impose a half-cent sales tax, and authority for all counties to impose a $5 or $10 wheelage tax. The Minnesota Chamber opposed the conference committee report because we continued to support a more moderate transportation funding package. It passed on a vote of 90 to 43.	N
TRANSPORTATION - H.F. 946: Finance Bill, Final Passage - The House transportation finance bill included: a 5-cent gas tax increase in 2008 and another 5-cent increase in 2009; increased license tab fees; granted authority in the seven-county metro area to impose a one-half cent sales tax for roads and transit; granted Greater Minnesota counties the ability to impose a one-half cent sales tax with a referendum; and granted all counties the authority to impose a $20 wheelage tax. The Minnesota Chamber opposed the bill, but actively supported a more moderate package that would have begun the process of building our way out of a long-term problem. It passed on a vote of 83 to 46.	N
ENERGY - S.F. 145: Energy Omnibus Policy Bill, Seifert Amendment - The omnibus energy policy bill included a provision that restricted new carbon-based electricity generation. The Seifert amendment would have removed this restriction. The Minnesota Chamber supported the amendment because we believe Minnesota needs additional base-load power sources and the omnibus energy policy bill would have needlessly restricted the state’s base-load options. The amendment failed by a vote of 50 to 78.	Y
EDUCATION - S.F. 1989: DREAM Act, Severson Amendment - The DREAM Act allowed any Minnesota high school graduate who attended a high school in the state for at least three years to be eligible for in-state tuition. In cases of students without lawful immigration status, to qualify for in-state tuition, they would be required to file an affidavit stating that they have begun to, or intend to, apply for legal status. Minnesota Chamber supported the DREAM Act because it is one way to address the shortage of educated workers and we believe students should be allowed to resolve their immigration status while pursuing a higher education. The Severson amendment would have eliminated the DREAM Act from the omnibus higher education bill. The Minnesota Chamber opposed the amendment. It failed on a vote of 61 to 71.	N
EDUCATION - S.F. 2089: Workforce Development Tax, Buesgens Amendment - The Workforce Development Fund is financed by a 0.10-percent payroll tax. In 2008, the payroll tax was scheduled to decrease to 0.085 percent; however, the House omnibus jobs bill eliminated the scheduled reduction of the tax. The Buesgens amendment would have maintained the scheduled reduction of the workforce development tax. The Minnesota Chamber supported the amendment because we believe the payroll tax should be eliminated and workforce development fund programs should be financed with general fund dollars. The amendment failed on a vote of 43-83.	Y
ENERGY - S.F. 2096: Energy Omnibus Finance Bill, Peppin Amendment - Currently, Minnesota law prohibits utilities from developing new nuclear power plants The Peppin amendment would have removed Minnesota’s ban on new nuclear generation. The Minnesota Chamber supported the amendment because we believe utilities should be able to consider all types of base load power, including nuclear, for future development. The amendment failed by a vote of 54 to 79.	Y
HEALTH CARE - S.F. 2171: Health Exchange Employer Mandate, Peppin Amendment - The Chamber supports the concept of the Health Insurance Exchange, but opposes mandating that employers establish premium only section 125 plans. This would set a dangerous precedent by creating a mandatory role for the employer in delivering health benefits, and potentially opens employers up to additional liabilities that would make health care even more unaffordable. The Peppin amendment would have eliminated the mandatory nature of the Health Insurance Exchange. The Chamber supported the amendment. It failed on a vote of 40 to 92.	Y
HEALTH CARE - S.F. 2171: Interpreter Mandates, Peppin Amendment. The Chamber opposes a new health insurance mandate that would reimburse providers for the cost of furnishing language interpretation service. Currently, patients have access to interpreter services because health care providers are already required by federal law to provide this service. The proposed mandate required individuals and small businesses to pay for the cost of this service which would have increased health insurance premiums. The Peppin amendment would have eliminated the interpreter mandate. The Minnesota Chamber supported the amendment. It failed on a vote of 38 to 90.	Y
This official's percentage on this voting record:

Symbol Key:
	Voted with the preferred position
	Voted against the preferred position
-	Did not vote