Jasinski: Daily life is still too expensive

By: SENATOR JOHN JASINSKI 

The biggest issue I am hearing about right now is the rising cost of daily life in Minnesota.  

We need to make life more affordable for Minnesotans. It is as simple as that. The cost of groceries, gas, housing – it seems like everything has gone up. People are working harder but they’re still falling behind. It is no surprise that credit card debt is also at record highs. Inflation is slowing, but people are still feeling the pressure. 

I’ve always been a common-sense guy. That’s how I operated on the city council and as mayor of Faribault, and it is how I approach working for you in the Senate. I believe in focusing on what works and solving the problems regular people face.  

Unfortunately, during the last two years of one-party control, common sense has been thrown out the window. Instead of focusing on the struggles of everyday people, the Democrats used their total control of state government to push through their extreme agenda without listening to the voices or ideas of half of Minnesotans.  

Perhaps the strongest example is what we witnessed at the end of this past session, when Democrats created and passed one monstrous bill loaded with thousands of pages of policies in the final minutes of session. There were no copies available to read or review, the public couldn’t digest it, and they refused to allow any debate. No bipartisanship, no working together.  

It was the worst insult to responsible governing I’ve seen in my years of public service. It’s not surprising that legislation is now facing a legal challenge.   

Their reckless approach has not only damaged relationships in government, but it also left regular Minnesotans in an even tougher spot. 

Democrats used their one-party control to unleash a 40% government spending increase — completely unsustainable. Our $19 billion surplus? Gone in one budget cycle.   

And instead of delivering relief to the middle class, they hit regular folks with nearly $10 billion in new taxes. We are talking about regressive taxes that will especially hurt middle- and lower-income families. Gas tax hikes, increased tab fees, sales taxes, and even new fees on deliveries. It’s as if they have no understanding of the financial pressure people are under.   

Minnesotans are already dealing with high rent, mortgage payments, grocery bills, and utilities. Add record credit card debt, higher taxes, and inflation, and it’s clear that people are struggling. I hear stories of those struggles almost every day. 

But instead of providing relief, the state government made things worse. The cost of living is through the roof, all while the government grows bigger and more expensive thanks to Democrats’ complete control of government. 

As we look ahead to the 2025 session, we need to change course. This can’t continue. We’ll get a new budget forecast, but we already know we’re on an unsustainable path. The focus must shift to where it belongs: helping Minnesotans afford their daily lives. It’s time to stop the reckless spending and restore common sense to the state budget. 

We need to control government spending and focus on policies that make it easier — not harder — for families to get by. Minnesotans need to keep more of their hard-earned money instead of watching it disappear into outrageous taxes and fees.  

It’s time to put regular people first, not extreme political agendas. Let’s return to common sense governing and make life affordable again for everyone.