AP via The Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, 1/27:
Dayton calls for railroad tax changes, new fee in budget to pay for safety improvements
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Mark Dayton laid out changes in his budget proposal Tuesday that would make railroad companies fork over more funds to ensure Minnesota communities can handle a dramatic influx of train traffic.
The Democratic governor proposed changing how the state taxes railroads and assessing a new fee dedicated to safety improvements. Together, those new revenue streams would raise nearly $100 million over the next two years to help the state, counties and cities tackle some of the headaches stemming from increased traffic due to growing crop yields and North Dakota's oil production.
SNIP
In a statement, BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth said the company had not been consulted on the governor's proposals and had not yet fully reviewed them.
"Railroads already pay taxes in Minnesota and are currently treated like other commercial and industrial properties, and federal law precludes any different treatment for railroads," McBeth said.
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