Minnesota Senate Republicans announced today that Senator Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) will once again serve as the chair of the Senate’s State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee when the new legislative session begins in January.

“The size of state government and our executive branch have both ballooned beyond understanding,” said Sen. Kiffmeyer. “With a budget deficit of at least $4.7 billion – and probably more, when the next forecast is released – government has a responsibility to tighten its belt. When we reconvene in January, I will expect every state government agency to go through their budget with a fine comb to help us find savings and close the deficit. That is the standard that Minnesotans are facing, and that is the standard we will hold state government to as well.”

The priority for the session will be balancing the budget in light of an economy recovering from covid. The Senate Finance Committee is the only committee with hearing time available three days a week, all others are limited to one or two hearings a week, or as needed. Less meeting time will help focus the agendas and ensure public participation can be done safely. There are more committees, 29 in total, from 2020, but with fewer members to accommodate for social distancing. The new committee areas are focused on: data practices and civil law, property taxes, mining and forestry, labor and industry, health and human services licensing, metropolitan governance, and redistricting.