New Taxes Not Needed
The Minnesota Senate had two significant changes when the new legislative session began on Jan. 8. First, Senate President Michelle Fischbach, the first female president in Senate history, retired. She will be replaced by new Senator Jeff Howe.
Second – and more important for residents of Anoka, Isanti, and Sherburne Counties – the Aging and Long-term Care Committee will expand its agenda. The new committee will be called the Family Care and Aging Committee, and it will be tasked with addressing issues that families care about most – things like child care costs, mental health, and the safety, health, and well-being of aging relatives.
For the most part, the Senate remains the same as it was in 2017 and 2018. This is good news, because the last two years were incredibly productive: we stabilized the individual health insurance market that was in freefall, we cut taxes for everyone (yes, everyone), added hundreds of millions of dollars to fix roads and bridges (without raising gas taxes or tab fees), we fully funded K-12 schools, and much more.
I am excited to pick up where we left off.
The biggest task of the session will be putting together a comprehensive state budget. The November revenue forecast projected we will have a $1.5 billion surplus to work with, but we won’t know final numbers until the end of February.
While I am committed to working closely with incoming Gov. Tim Walz and incoming House Speaker Melissa Hortman, our budget must be sustainable and responsible. This is what taxpayers expect and deserve. I will not support reckless spending increases and policies that harm working Minnesotans.
For example, Speaker Hortman and Gov. Walz have both fiercely advocated for a substantial gas tax increase this year.
This is a non-starter.
The gas tax is devastating for low income and middle class families. It directly punishes workers who commute leaving them with less disposable income. Higher gas taxes means less money for groceries or other necessities, and every penny matters if you are trying to make ends meet. We should be trying to make things easier for Minnesotans, not more difficult.
Only 35 percent of Minnesotans support raising the gas tax, but even that doesn’t tell the whole story. People don’t want their taxes raised; they want safe roads and bridges and efficient commutes. Democrats are telling you the only way to do it is with a tax increase.
Minnesota is one of the highest taxed states in the nation. Raising taxes should not be Gov. Walz’s first response.
In 2017, Republicans proved it can be done without new revenue. We prioritized $556 million for roads and bridges using existing money. We can do it again this year, if we do our homework and think creatively.
One idea is to permanently dedicate a portion of existing auto parts sales taxes. This is not a new idea, but it would create a sustainable revenue stream that guarantees adequate funding for roads and bridges for years to come.
Republicans and Democrats agree that we need a long-term, dedicated funding source for roads and bridges. I hope Gov. Walz will join us in making transportation a priority without asking Minnesotans to pay more.
I would love to hear your feedback on the gas tax, child care costs, or any other issue on your mind. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at sen.michelle.benson@senate.mn or 651-296-3219.
This column originally ran in the Forest Lake Times.