For the past two years, the Democrat one-party rule at the Capitol has spent recklessly, raised taxes, and handed out money to political allies — and left working Minnesotans to pick up the bill. After burning through a record $19 billion budget surplus, the state faces a $5.1 billion deficit just around the corner.
Instead of addressing the mess, Governor Walz unveiled a budget plan that would shift costs to counties, forcing massive local property tax hikes.
My Senate Republican colleagues and I have a different approach. We recently unveiled the Minnesotans First agenda — because it’s time to get spending under control, lower the cost of living, and stop fraud. It’s about putting you first, not government.
The cost of living is too high
If you feel like your paycheck isn’t going as far as it used to, you’re not imagining things. The cost of everyday life — gas, groceries, health care, energy — has skyrocketed. But instead of offering relief, Democrats have passed policies that drive prices even higher. Their excessive, unnecessary regulations, tax hikes, and spending sprees have only made the situation worse.
We’ll put Minnesotans first by lowering energy costs, keeping taxes and spending in check, and making it easier (not harder) for small businesses to thrive. We believe you should keep more of what you earn, not send it to the government to be wasted on pet projects.
Reining in reckless spending
In just two years, Democrats blew through an entire record budget surplus. They increased government spending by a stunning 40%. They raised $10 billion in new taxes along the way, and still somehow managed to put us inching closer to the red.
It’s not just bad budgeting. It’s completely unsustainable. And now the solution Gov. Walz is floating will only push costs down to local governments, meaning your property taxes will go up to make up the difference.
We saw this play out in education two years ago. There were so many heavy mandates that school budgets busted. Schools were forced to make cuts or try to raise levies to make it balance.
That’s not relief. It is passing the buck.
We won’t support a budget that raises taxes or passes the pain onto local governments. Instead, we’re focused on smarter spending and cutting waste and fraud. Minnesotans shouldn’t be punished for government’s bad decisions.
The fraud needs to stop
Minnesota has made national headlines for all the wrong reasons. We’ve seen rampant fraud in state programs. There is a new scandal virtually every day. Hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more, has been stolen because of weak oversight and lax enforcement.
People are frustrated. Rightfully so. You work hard and pay your taxes. You expect that money to be used responsibly, not funneled into fraudulent schemes or abused by bad actors.
We are pushing real accountability, stronger fraud prevention, and stricter oversight so this money goes where it’s supposed to go — toward helping Minnesotans, not enriching scammers.
Our Minnesotans First agenda is built on common sense. It is about making life easier for working families, keeping communities safe, and holding government accountable.
I am ready to work with anyone who shares these priorities. At the end of the day, Minnesotans should always come first.