Minnesota House Democrat Aisha Gomez outlined legislation that would impose a new annual tax on high-value fortunes, presenting House File 4616 as a proposal aimed at addressing what she described as growing disparities in wealth across the United States.

Speaking before lawmakers, Gomez described the bill as a departure from existing tax structures.

“Thank you, Mister Chair, so House file 4616 imposes a 1% tax annually on fortunes above $10 million and so this is a, this is a different kind of tax base than we have in Minnesota,” she said.

She added that it represents “a different tax base than anyone in the country, any state revenue kind of code in the country touches.”

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Gomez said the proposal is rooted in long-standing concerns about wealth concentration.

“And you know, this really comes from for me, I've heard my entire life these statistics about the top 1% and how much wealth they own and how much income they get,” she said.

“And, you know, I'm in my mid 40s, it's just gotten worse and worse and worse.”

She continued by describing how those figures have changed over time.

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“That's my perception. Every time I hear somebody cite that statistic, it's like it's more shocking and it's worse,” Gomez said.

During her remarks, Gomez pointed to recent data regarding wealth distribution in the United States.

“As of this year, the top 1% own more than 30% of the wealth in this country,” she said.

“It's $55 trillion and that's as much wealth as is held by the bottom 90% by the rest of us.”

Gomez acknowledged that discussions about large-scale wealth disparities can feel removed from everyday experience but urged consideration of their broader effects.

“So people have talked about, I mean, I think this is a little bit remote from our experience, but I think, but, but I want us to think about this for a sec,” she said.

She then connected the issue to the financial pressures faced by many Americans.

“What has happened in our country is that increasingly working class people, middle class people have a harder and harder time making ends meet,” Gomez said.

Gomez cited rising costs across several areas of daily life.

“We all live in the world. The cost of housing continues to go up, the cost of health care just goes up and up and up, the cost of food and utilities,” she said.

“These are issues that we all hear about from our communities.”

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House File 4616 proposes a 1% annual tax on fortunes exceeding $10 million, a structure Gomez described as distinct from traditional income-based taxation.

The measure would apply to accumulated wealth rather than annual earnings, marking a shift in how state-level tax policy could be structured.

The proposal comes as lawmakers in multiple states and at the federal level have debated approaches to taxation and economic policy in response to concerns about inequality and cost-of-living pressures.

Gomez’s remarks focused on framing the legislation as a response to long-term trends she believes are affecting working- and middle-class households.

The bill remains under consideration as part of ongoing discussions in the Minnesota legislature.

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