Governor Tim Walz released his proposal for the upcoming two-year state budget on Tuesday. The Governor’s $52 billion budget proposal, including budgeted reserves, would be the largest budget in state history and represents an 8.1% increase over the previous state budget. In response, Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria) issued the following statement:

“I am disappointed to see Governor Walz budget proposal go so far in the opposite direction of his ‘One Minnesota’ vision. Our communities already face some of the highest tax burdens in the nation and the tax and fee increases included in this proposal will continue to punish families and small businesses across the state. Minnesotans already pay enough at the pump and for their healthcare costs and it would be insane to continue to drive these costs up. Instead, our government should do some common-sense budgeting, seek out waste, fraud, and abuse and look for ways to reduce the financial burdens that our residents already face.”

Governor Walz’s proposal would raise Minnesota’s gas tax by twenty cents, representing a massive 70 percent increase and vaulting Minnesota’s gas tax to 4th highest in the nation. It also includes increases to tab fees, the motor vehicle sales tax, the Metro Area sales tax, business taxes, and reinstatement of the sick tax, which is set to expire at the end of the year and would add $1 billion to the cost of healthcare for Minnesotans over the next two years.

You can watch the full Republican response to the Governor’s budget here.