The Senate Republican majority has completed work on its first state budget, a stark change from previous years. The new budget delivers the first tax relief in nearly two decades, and the first serious investment into roads and bridges since 2008. Roughly $1 billion of the state budget surplus is being used to fund these two top Republican priorities.

“Republicans have spent the last 6 months promising a different governing mentality, and today we delivered on that promise,” said Deputy Senate Majority Leader Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake). “This was a historically productive session – we addressed the health care emergency, funded schools, passed the biggest tax relief bill in almost two decades, and the largest investment in roads and bridges since 2008.”

Minnesota families will finally see badly-needed relief thanks to the Republican $648 million tax relief plan. It aligns Minnesota with 38 other states by reducing taxes on Social Security income, and includes a new tax credit for people paying off high student loan debt.

The Republican transportation bill addresses our infrastructure crisis by infusing $300 million in permanent, on-going funding into roads and bridges. Combined with transportation money included in the bonding bill, there will be $600 million available to rebuild Minnesota’s transportation infrastructure this biennium. Thousands of lane miles and hundreds of bridges will be repaired or replaced over 10 years with the Republican plan.

The transportation bill also includes creates a new statute to clarify MnDOT’s project selection process guidelines, to make the process more transparent and eliminate bureaucratic biases. Statewide taxpayers will no longer be on the hook for annual operating costs of South West Light Rail due to a provision included in the bill.

Republicans put students first with $1.3 billion in new funding to Minnesota schools. This includes a 2% funding formula increase every year – a top priority of students, education advocates, and teachers unions.

“The Republican style of leadership paid off this year,” added Sen. Benson. “We set early, aggressive deadlines – and we met them. We’ll carry this same approach into session next year, where I anticipate we’ll have even more success delivering results for the people of Minnesota.”