ST. PAUL, MN –  Senate and House Republicans are highlighting the extreme spending proposed by Governor Walz as he released his budget today. Senate Majority Leader Mark Johnson and House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth released the following statement on the Governor’s proposal: 

“We have a historic $17.6 billion surplus and Gov. Walz wants to increase state spending by 25% and raise taxes on hardworking Minnesotans. If we can’t pass permanent tax relief for hard-working Minnesotans with a historic surplus now, when can we?    

“This extremely expensive budget includes new taxes on employees and new mandates on business, massive bureaucracies with hundreds of state employees, and inflates education spending without accountability to parents or student achievement.  

“This budget is too extreme for Minnesota. While the Governor wants us to focus on the freebies he provides, there is a real and tangible cost to our state and the taxpayers. It will be our job in the coming months to expose these controversial spending and divisive policies, so Minnesotans know what they are really getting with this “One ‘Extreme’ Minnesota” budget.”  

Watch the joint press conference with Leaders Johnson and Demuth