As the legislative session in Bismarck nears its end, some lawmakers have brought back the idea of using Legacy Fund earnings – earnings, mind you, not the principal – to buy down and perhaps eventually replace state income taxes. The bill – HB1530, introduced by Rep. Craig Headland (R-Montpelier) and defeated earlier this session but…
Podcast: Work Requirements for Food Stamps, Eliminating the State Income Tax
On the radio show today, Kristina Rasmussen from the Foundation for Accountability in Government was on to discuss the issue of work requirements in the House version of the farm bill. She noted that Democrats have supported work requirements for social welfare programs in the past (notably under former President Bill Clinton) and that some…
House Does End-Run Around the Senate To Pass Income Tax Cuts Anyway
Yesterday the potential for personal and corporate income tax cuts looked pretty grim. The Senate took a $152 million tax cut proposal sent to them by the state House and watered it down to just a $33 million reduction, and then killed it anyway. Clearly, the Senate has lost its appetite for income tax cuts,…
Video: North Dakota Senate Says No To Income Tax Cuts
If you want to understand how concerned state lawmakers are with falling tax revenues thanks to lagging oil production, tracking the path of the income tax issues is a good way to illustrate it. The process started in the state House with one proposal calling for the elimination of the income tax, an $820 million…
From the Left: Defending North Dakota's Brand Of Conservatism
This will not come as a surprise for anybody who pays attention, but North Dakota conservatism is not the same as conservatism in other parts of the Country. I believe that frustrates many people on both sides of the political aisle. Those on the right become frustrated because of a perceived lack of party purity…
ND Lawmakers Will Have Two Choices On Income Taxes: Eliminate It, Or Phase It Out
Rep. Al Carlson, the House Majority Leader, has announced that he will be introducing legislation which would take North Dakota’s personal and corporate income tax rates down to zero. But back in September Rep. Scott Louser of Minot announced here on SAB legislation that would take income tax rates down to zero as well. What’s…
North Dakota's Income Tax Collections Soar Even As Rates Are Cut Nearly In Half
During his budget address to the Legislature last week Governor Jack Dalrymlpe, by way of trying to bolster a measly proposal for just $125 million in personal/corporate income tax relief, pointed out that if lawmaker institute his proposed cuts the income tax rates will be nearly 50 percent lower than before 2009. Collective, that’s not…
Ironic: Governor Dalrymple Gets Credit For Other People's Tax Cuts
The Cato Institute today released their analysis of gubernatorial performance on fiscal issues. North Dakota’s Jack Dalrymple got a pretty good grade, coming in 12th in the nation, though I’m not sure he deserves it. The full report from Cato is here. Here’s their summary of Dalrymple’s performance: Dalrymple got a much lower grade…
Why North Dakota's Property Tax "Relief" Won't Work: State Money Isn't Free Money
State Senator Tom Campbell (R-Grafton) has a letter in the Grand Forks Herald today extolling the virtues of the state property tax spending (we have got to stop calling it “tax relief”) by explaining what the impact might be on the average property tax payer: Let’s assume you live in Grand Forks or Walsh County…
North Dakota's Government Is Twice As Large As Minnesota's In Terms Of Gross State Product
Yesterday Governor Jack Dalrymple signed into law and praised income tax cuts that were twice as large as what he called for in his executive budget. In fact, had Dalrymple not budgeted for such tiny cuts to state income taxes, the state Senate wouldn’t have had the leverage to bully the House into slashing the…