Labor Leaders, Advocates Condemn Scott Jensen's Plan to Raise Sales Taxes on Food & Clothing

In a Sunday Star Tribune profile, Jensen proposed offsetting a fraction of the cost of his plan to eliminate the income tax with sales tax hikes on food and clothing.

ST. PAUL, MN – Yesterday, labor leaders, DFL legislators, and advocates for working families highlighted how Scott Jensen’s plan to eliminate the income tax and raise sales taxes on food and clothing would disproportionately benefit the wealthy and hurt working families.

Eliminating the state income tax would leave a $15 billion gap in the state budget. In a Sunday Star Tribune profile, Jensen proposed offsetting a fraction of the cost of his proposal with sales tax hikes on food and clothing.

“Increasing the state sales tax is one of the more regressive things that we could do,” said Minnesota State Representative Cheryl Youakim. “It would hit our middle and low income families the most – just when they need money back in their pockets. Removing the income tax may sound good on a bumper sticker during the election campaign, but it will have a devastating impact on our economy.”

“Scott Jensen wants to raise taxes on clothes as parents are looking to buy winter boots, snow pants and winter jackets for their kids,” said Minnesota State Senator Kari Dziedzic. “He wants to tax groceries as visits to food shelves across Minnesota are increasing. Minnesotans are struggling. Scott Jensen’s and Matt Birk's proposal to tax basic necessities will hurt Minnesota businesses and Minnesotans.”

“Despite gridlock and partisan games, Gov. Walz continues to advocate for $2,000 checks for families,” said Brad Lehto, Secretary-Treasurer of the Minnesota AFL-CIO. “Minnesota needs an honest broker and someone who has a track record of standing with working Minnesotans day in and day out. That's Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan.”

Gov. Walz signed the largest middle-class tax-cut in 20 years and has continued to advocate for $2,000 checks for families to ease the impacts of rising prices. And under Gov. Walz’s and Lt. Gov. Flanagan’s leadership, Minnesota has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation.

“Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan worked with labor to build a strong economy for all Minnesotans, and not just the highest income earners,” said Jim Gleb, UFCW 1189 President. “Under Gov. Walz’s and Lt. Gov. Flanagan's [leadership], Minnesota ranks fifth best in the United States with regard to job growth, and we've experienced the lowest unemployment of any state. Their administration doesn't just work to create jobs for business owners, they value labor and workers across many industries.”

“Without income tax revenue, my son here may no longer have access to our state's early intervention physical therapy programs to help him learn to walk with this tax revenue,” said Rev. Corinne Freedman Ellis. “And with the bold and courageous leadership of Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan and families across the state families like mine will thrive. Friends, we have a choice to make, allow the wealthiest to profit and the lowest income folks to bear the burden or meet our collective struggle with collective solutions.”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan are running for re-election to ensure that every family has the opportunity to succeed and to keep Minnesota moving forward. Their campaign website is available here.