Last week Governor Walz released his budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. The plan proposes a slight reduction in state spending, in tandem with increasing fees and adding a sales tax to certain services.

Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) released the following statement in response:

“It’s as we’ve said all along, uncontrolled spending leads to long-term deficits, and the Walz Administration’s plan to address this includes burdensome new taxes and fees on Minnesota families. That is an absolute non-starter. New taxes and fees on families is not something anyone should be supporting in this economy.

“The fact of the matter is that it wasn’t too long ago we had a surplus totaling over $18 billion. Now, just a few years later, we’re heading towards a devastating $5 billion deficit. Democrats mismanaged the budget and blew through the entire surplus. When Governor Walz proposed his ‘fix,’ he failed to take accountability for the Democrats’ over-spending that got us here. Instead, he had the audacity to blame our financial state on the spending surrounding long-term care and services for those with disabilities – his proposal is to cut funding for those most in need!

“We need a budget that prioritizes families and puts Minnesotans first. Senate Republicans are not interested in raising fees and taxes to cover the Democrats’ out-of-control spending. Minnesota families should not be forced to bear the financial burden of runaway spending by the Walz Administration and Democrats.”