The 2025 legislative session is underway, and it is great to be back at the capitol serving the people of Goodhue, Rice, Steele, and Waseca Counties in the Senate.
The word gets overused, but it really is shaping up to be an unprecedented session.
To begin with, the Minnesota Senate is starting on equal footing. A 33-33 tie means Republicans and Democrats have to share power, and I was proud to be one of 12 senators who negotiated this bipartisan agreement. It wasn’t easy. There were late nights, tough conversations, and plenty of debate. But in the end, we crafted a structure that will help us govern, together, for the good of Minnesotans.
As part of this structure, I’m honored to serve as the co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee with my good friend and colleague, Democrat Senator Scott Dibble. I’ve worked with Senator Dibble for eight years now. We have a great relationship, and I respect him a lot. He doesn’t play games, and when he gives you his word you can count on it. I look forward to working with him again this year.
It is a sharp contrast with what we are witnessing in the Minnesota House of Representatives. While the Senate is governing, House Democrats are staying home. Instead of doing the jobs they were elected to do, they’ve chosen to stay home in order to prevent Republicans from exercising their 67-66 majority. Minnesotans deserve better than this kind of absentee leadership. When I hear from constituents, they don’t want excuses—they want us to show up and do our jobs. In the Senate, that is what we are doing – working together and figuring out ways to get things done. The same can’t be said for the House as long as Democrats continue to stay home.
Another big headline this week is Governor Walz’s budget proposal. He tried to spin it into something really good. He claims he is proposing a sales tax “cut,” but what he is doing is lowering the rate by .075% (or 7.5 cents out of every $100), but he is expanding the sales tax to add it to professional services like accountants – in other words, it is a massive tax increase. Minnesotans will end up paying a lot more for common services.
His proposal also includes significant fee increases, like state park fees.
And the “responsible cuts”? He cuts payments to critical resources like disability services, nursing homes, special education transportation, and preventative care. His cuts target people and programs need our help the most. In 2023, the legislature approved a bipartisan rescue package to save nursing homes in crisis. The governor is now proposing to cap their payments, putting them in jeopardy again. It is entirely the wrong approach.
It’s not just about what’s being cut; it’s about priorities. The governor is asking Minnesotans to pay more, even as families are struggling with rising costs. Meanwhile, the $19 billion surplus we had two years ago is gone because they spent it all. Government spending ballooned by 40% in just two years, and now we’re staring at a $5.1 billion deficit. This isn’t responsible budgeting. It’s reckless.
Governor Walz’s budget sends a clear message: government comes first, and Minnesotans come second.
We can, and must, do better. Our next budget needs to put Minnesotans first. As I’ve said before, a lot of families are already stretched thin. The last thing they need is another hit to their wallets.
The last two years of one-party control were ugly. Divisiveness got significantly worse. Democrats broke trust, fractured relationships, and prioritized their political allies at the expense of Minnesotans. We have not forgotten everything that happened, and rebuilding trust will take time.
For my part, I’m ready to get back to work, ready to partner with anyone who is willing to exchange good ideas. We are facing big challenges this year, but I am optimistic.