Hundreds gather in St. Paul for Rally to Fund our Future
On Feb. 18, almost 500 educators, state workers, nurses, home health and child care workers, service employees and other labor union members gathered in the Capitol Rotunda for a rally around raising revenue. The rally was organized by We Make Minnesota, a labor-grassroots coalition advocating for a strong and equitable state budget, of which Education Minnesota is a member.
Corporate profits are at record highs, but the amount they pay in taxes is at record lows. At the federal level, the corporate tax rate is currently 21%—but many large companies pay significantly less than that. From 2018 to 2022, the Institute on Taxation and Economic policy examined 342 large public companies and found that 142 of them paid less than half of the federal tax rate. Due to tax credits and other tax breaks, mega corporations such as Tesla have paid zero federal income taxes since 2022.
While multi-billion-dollar corporations pay nothing in income taxes, everyday Minnesotans pay their fair share, even when struggling to make ends meet. Despite Minnesota’s strong investments into public education over the past couple years, the system remains underfunded, and the resulting teacher shortage has hit nearly nine in ten Minnesota school districts.
Education Minnesota’s legislative agenda presents a plan to tackle the educator shortage by improving pay, pensions and health care—but those improvements will require more revenue. That’s why hundreds of our members gathered at the Capitol to demand that the very wealthy and large corporations pay what they truly owe in taxes.
2022 Teacher of the Year Sarah Lancaster spoke to the crowd, highlighting the benefits that would come from tax equity. “By taxing those who are most able to pay, we reduce the burden on those who are most vulnerable,” she said. Lancaster, who teaches in Onamia, described how rural communities often bear the brunt of tax inequality. “I think about my students in Mille Lacs County—they are not rich. They need all the resources they can get,” she said. “As an individual with multiple degrees in higher education and over a decade of experience in the classroom, one burden I should not face is financial insecurity—but we do. It affects my ability to be present for my students or to stay in the profession at all.”
Lancaster emphasized that educators across Minnesota face these same struggles and shared how tax equity would benefit all teachers by addressing the educator shortage. “We must improve the pay, the pensions and the health care of those educating our future. If every Minnesota teacher received care for mental health, for medical health, a living wage and a secure pension, it would be a sea change for public education. When we are supported, we can provide the support and security our students need.”
Ahead of the rally, several Education Minnesota members testified at hearings and attended lobby days at the Capitol. In total, our members attended 44 meetings with lawmakers on Feb. 18, speaking with them about the need to improve pay, strengthen pensions and reduce health care costs.
