We’ve reached the final sprint of this legislative session, and a lot is on the line.
In just a few weeks, lawmakers will wrap up work for the year. This is when deals get made, budgets get finalized, and priorities become crystal clear. For me, the top priority is making sure we don’t pass a budget that adds even more pain to Minnesota families who are already paying too much and getting too little in return.
Over the past two years, under one-party control, Democrats raised taxes by more than $10 billion and increased spending by a staggering 40 percent. Now, the state is staring down a $6 billion deficit. That’s not just unsustainable. It’s reckless. Many of us warned this would happen, and now the consequences are arriving fast.
Minnesota is regularly among the highest-taxed states in the country. Our state income tax is the 6th highest. Our corporate income tax? The actual highest. These high taxes add up, and it makes it exceedingly difficult for families and businesses to make ends meet.
It’s clear we can’t afford more of the same. Thankfully, the makeup of the Minnesota House of Representatives has changed. The House is tied. The Senate will soon return to a one-vote majority. The only path forward is a bipartisan one. The days of shutting out the other side should be over. Minnesotans want cooperation and common sense. They do not want more partisanship.
Unfortunately, many of the budget proposals we’ve seen so far don’t reflect that. The governor’s plan and the Senate Democrats’ framework and early budget bills include cuts to long-term care, nursing homes, disability services, and even the per-pupil education formula. They also include major cost shifts onto counties that will almost certainly lead to higher property taxes. And when their tax bill is unveiled in the near future, we expect it to contain a combination of tax increases and cuts to aids and credits. That’s incredibly disappointing.
In our area alone, these nursing home cuts would hit hard according to the Long-Term Care Imperative:
- Benedictine Living Community of St. Peter: $1.3 million
- The Emeralds at Faribault: $1.1 million
- Whispering Creek in Janesville: $760,000
- Koda Living Community in Owatonna: $1.5 million
- Lakeshore Rehabilitation Center in Waseca: $905,000
These are real places serving real people. They deserve better.
Meanwhile, there are easy opportunities to cut waste and refocus on priorities. We can stop funding benefits for illegal aliens ($300+ million) and instead spend that money on nursing homes. We can stop the funding for nearly $200 million passenger rail line to Duluth and put more toward local roads and bridges. That’s the kind of investment Minnesotans expect — repairing infrastructure close to home.
The clock is ticking. Between now and May 19, the legislature must pass a balanced budget. That is the law. I’m hopeful we can set partisanship aside and find agreement on smart, responsible, common-sense ideas. That means protecting the most vulnerable. It means stopping runaway spending. And it means holding the line on taxes.
I’ll keep working to make sure your voice is heard in these final weeks.