Talking Points: Will you get a rebate check?
MINNEAPOLIS -- You may have heard both Gov. Time Walz and Republican legislators proposing hefty rebate checks for taxpayers. But will you actually get one?
As Esme Murphy reports in this week's Talking Points, the answer is maybe and maybe not.
Most taxpayers don't need reminding: Minnesota has a $17.5 billion budget surplus. It was Gov. Walz who first proposed "Walz checks" last year during his political campaign. Republicans ridiculed the idea.
The proposal didn't hurt Walz, as he handily beat Dr. Scott Jensen in the November election.
Just recently during the legislative session, Republicans proposed rebate checks of their own, saying that everyone should get a rebate check regardless of income: $2,500 for joint filers, $1,250 for single filers.
Walz is again proposing rebate checks, but these have income limits. The governor's proposal would give $2,000 to joint filers making less than $150,000 dollars a year. Single filers making less than $75,000 would get $1,000.
With both Republicans and the governor backing some form of rebate check, you probably think your odds of getting one are pretty good. But it's complicated.
The problem is the DFL-controlled House and Senate are not fully on board with rebate checks. Sen. Bobby Joe Champion is the Senate President, and was a guest on WCCO Sunday morning.
"As we need to think about other issues as well, that's one of the things that we are thinking about in real time. We also have to think about it in the context of everything else, not just in isolation. I think when you silo these issues, I think that's where things get lost," he said.
Legislators and the governor have just over two months to figure out a possible compromise. The legislative session ends in mid-May.
You can watch WCCO Sunday Mornings with Esme Murphy and Joseph Dames every Sunday at 6 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
