(St. Paul, MN)  --  The tax bill rolled out by Minnesota House Democrats would create a new income tax rate for the highest earners in the state. 

House Speaker Melissa Hortman defended the tax hike on individuals making more than 500-thousand dollars.  She claimed that Republicans want to cut taxes for people who did the best during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Hortman said, "we're just saying, everybody in Minnesota can pitch in and we can get through this together, in a way that's fair and makes our state stronger over the long term." 

G-O-P Rep. Greg Davids from Preston responds Minnesotans don't want a tax increase when the state has a one-point-six-billion-dollar budget surplus and billions more coming from the federal government.