Tax bills from the House and Senate fizzled during the recent legislation session, casualties of a political firestorm that flared up mostly around transportation funding.

Despite the surface similarities, a number of new factors make 2015’s standoff different, and perhaps simpler, than the 2011 episode.

Critics of the spending plan zeroed in on a business property tax cut that starts small, but grows exponentially in the near future.

The county board was set to consider a half-cent sales tax and a $20 excise tax on motor vehicle sales within the county to raise $6 million annually for projects.

observers Expect mid-May to be a flurry of for marathon floor sessions and vital late-night meetings to reach agreement.

There’s not one simple reason states rely so much on regressive taxes such as sales taxes, sin taxes and property taxes rather than a progressive income tax.

The Minnesota House and Senate conferees must reconcile vastly different bills.

Missing from our debates over who should have access to guns and over how much government should tax and spend are answers to the fundamental question: What is our government for?

Backers of state legislation that would allow cities to collect street fees call it an intuitive way to pay for long-term maintenance. Opponents call it a poorly disguised tax hike.

House Speaker Paul Thissen and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk gave what Bakk called the “35,000 foot view” of their priorities this session in a news conference Wednesday afternoon, with few specific details on how they will balance a projected $1.1 billion budget deficit or find the funds to invest in their priorities.