Legislative Update
It’s been a busy time at the Capitol as we near the deadlines for bills to be heard and pass out of their respective committees. By the end of next week, each committee area is supposed to finalize its policy and spending bills and start sending them to the House floor. Unfortunately, that doesn’t look like it will happen on time. While the House Republicans and Democrats agreed to budget targets late last week, the bipartisan committees are still far apart on the specifics of each spending bill.
Below is a graph which shows the budget targets in individual areas.
 In the meantime, we continue to meet in committee and pass simple bipartisan bills off the House Floor. There have been no late night sessions debating partisan bills since bills can’t actually get to the House Floor unless both parties agree to it.
Assuming these budget targets hold and ultimately pass the House, the next step will be negotiating with the Senate and Governor.
Budget Priorities: Addressing the Deficit Without Raising Taxes
Minnesota is facing a $6 billion budget deficit, and there’s no question how we got here. The Walz Administration and legislative Democrats spent through a historic $18 billion surplus, raised taxes by another $10 billion, and increased state government spending by 40% in just one budget cycle—taking the budget from $52 billion to $72 billion. Now, instead of course-correcting, the Governor is proposing a budget that doubles down on the same approach.
Under his plan, core services face steep reductions: funding for nursing homes, including $2,275,678 to the Birchwood Health Care Center, would be cut, private/homeschool pupil aid and merit-based teacher compensation would be reduced, and funding for special education would be slashed, hurting our most vulnerable learners. Additionally, the Governor proposes shifting over $1.5 billion in state costs to counties—a move that could lead to property tax hikes of up to 9% for Minnesota families and businesses. County leaders across the state have already raised serious concerns about the local impact.
I had a bill in the Transportation Committee on Wednesday which could help with reducing the deficit by offering some alternatives counties could use to help with their road costs. Here is a quick video:
On top of that, the bipartisan House targets offer a responsible alternative. Our budget framework reduces projected spending compared to the previous cycle and addresses the deficit without raising taxes. This approach would close nearly two-thirds of the projected deficit by 2029, while protecting essential services.
We’ve also focused on restoring flexibility for local school districts. HF 1435 allows schools to design programs that meet the needs of their students and communities, rather than a one-size-fits-all model. HF 957 gives school boards the ability to delay certain costly mandates and better manage limited resources, which is especially important in tight budget years.
Minnesota doesn’t have a revenue problem—we have a spending problem. It’s time to refocus on real priorities, protect our most vulnerable, and ensure long-term fiscal stability. While not perfect, my hope is that we can pass the bipartisan House targets which give our schools and local governments flexibility to manage limited resources. It also doesn’t raise taxes.
Have a good weekend!
|
|
