The state of Minnesota has a big, fat $1 billion budget surplus and the Republicans who control the state Senate have a great idea: Give it back to the taxpayers. They call it the “Get Your Billion Back” plan.

A state budget surplus means that the state is collecting more in revenue than it thought it would need. What’s more, Minnesota already has a hefty reserve fund that has built up in case of an economic downturn. The $1 billion on the table this legislative session is simply icing on the cake for the state. So why should it get to keep it?

Every day, Minnesotans go to work, do their jobs and earn money so they can pay their bills and try to afford the things they would like to give their children and families. The state takes a cut of their paychecks and puts it to uses that sometimes benefit those workers and sometimes do not. But it is fair to say that Minnesotans are not under-taxed.

The GOP-led Senate tax refund plan would, among other things:

o Reduce the lowest income tax rate

o Expand the K-12 Education Tax Credit

o Eliminate the tax on Social Security

o Reform school Equalization Aid

o Reform property tax laws

o Reform charitable gambling rules

Sen. Roger Chamberlain perhaps laid it out best when he said: “I have met so many people who have told me what a little extra money in their pocket would mean. For some, it will be easier to afford child care, groceries or medical bills. For others, it means being able to go to a Wild game, a concert or a long-overdue date night. It’s about security and flexibility for Minnesotans and their families; it’s about giving people the freedom to create their own opportunities and follow their dreams.”

Indeed.