Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday announced the details of his state budget proposal. The $49 billion proposal is a 9% increase from the last budget. State Senator Mike Goggin (R-Red Wing) released the following statement in response:

“Last week we announced a set of principles that we will live by when constructing our budget. Unfortunately, the governor’s proposal misses the mark by quite a bit: His 20-cent gas tax increase, tab fee increases, and the $1 billion sick tax are regressive taxes that hurt the most vulnerable people in our state. These are folks who are just trying to get ahead and we are putting additional burdens on them that they can’t afford. The ones who can least afford these taxes are the ones who will be hit the hardest.”

Watch the Republican response to the Governor’s budget.

Facts about the governor’s budget:

• Increases state spending by 9% in one budget cycle, from $45,549 in 2018-19 (November 2018 forecast, page 12) to 49,471 in 2020-21 (Walz budget documents).
• Increases taxes on every Minnesotan by over $3 Billion:
  • $1.3 billion gas tax increase
  • $991 million sick tax increase
  • $848 million in FY 2020-21 through selective Minnesota tax conformity to the federal tax bill
  • $74 million tax increase by clawing back bipartisan tax relief from 2017
• Ends permanent, bipartisan funding for roads and bridges (via sales taxes on auto parts). Replaces it by almost doubling the gas tax, a revenue source that declines each year starting in 2020. (MNDOT Transportation Funds Forecast November 2018, page 9)