The Minnesota House today gave thumbs-up to letting voters decide this fall whether the sales tax on auto parts should be constitutionally dedicated to roads and bridges. Brooklyn Park Democrat Michael Nelson calls it a “chicken’s way out” that shifts money from education and human services. Nelson says, “We’re taking money from our kids and we’re gonna put it in roads and bridges. We’re shifting money away from our grandparents and our parents who are in nursing homes.”
Waseca Republican John Petersburg responds the state decided long ago motor vehicle sales taxes should be dedicated to roads and bridges. “Now we have the car parts — tires, batteries — that are also keeping these cars and trucks on the road. It certainly seems sensible that that also ought to be part of the infrastructure,” Petersburg says.
Support for the measure is reportedly shakey in the Minnesota Senate.