Minnesota is heading for a financial disaster. The numbers don’t lie: according to a new report from Minnesota’s budget office, in just a few years, we’re looking at a gigantic $5.1 billion deficit. That’s not a small hiccup — it’s a massive problem that will affect every family in our state.
And it didn’t have to happen.
How did we get here? Recklessness. In 2023, Minnesota had a historic $19 billion surplus. That money was a golden opportunity to provide relief to struggling taxpayers, strengthen our state’s finances, and steel ourselves for the future. Instead, Democrats spent it all – and then some. They raised taxes by $10 billion, ballooned state spending by 40%, and left us hurtling toward this massive deficit.
This wasn’t just poor planning; it was loyalty to an extreme agenda. Thanks to the Democrat trifecta of the last two years, the state’s budget has now grown from $39 billion in 2014 to $71 billion today. Meanwhile, Minnesotans are dealing with rising grocery bills, record housing costs, and stagnant paychecks. Most families haven’t seen their budgets double in the last decade, but over the last two years Democrats acted like they had a blank check from every taxpayer’s wallet.
Under Democrat leadership, fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars in Minnesota have reached stunning levels. It’s not just one or two isolated incidents. it’s a frustrating pattern of carelessness, poor oversight, and a lack of accountability. From the Feeding Our Future scandal to the $500 million frontline worker pay program, and the ongoing Medicaid and autism fraud allegations that have ballooned under the Walz administration, you see a culture that seems uninterested in protecting your tax dollars. Instead, it treats taxpayer dollars like Monopoly money.
The projected $5.1 billion deficit is the direct result of irresponsible governing. Minnesotans deserve better.
Republicans proposed a different path – one focused on moderation and caution. We wanted to use the surplus to provide tax relief for families and small businesses, fund our shared priorities, and secure Minnesota’s future. It’s not flashy, but it’s responsible. Unfortunately, our ideas – and really, any dissenting voices – were ignored. Democrats chose to spend and tax like there was no tomorrow.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer – Republicans wanted to protect Minnesota’s financial future, but Democrats prioritized reckless spending. And now, we’re left with one of the highest tax burdens in the nation, a government that’s grown far faster than our economy, and a looming deficit that will hurt families for years to come. And you are paying the price for all of it.
Minnesota’s constitution requires a balanced budget, so hard decisions will have to be made when we reconvene in 2025. I’ll be fighting to protect your checking account and make sure that Minnesota’s budget puts families first. We can’t afford more of the same runaway spending, higher taxes, and careless financial decisions of the last two years.
It’s time for a reality check. We need to rein in government growth, eliminate waste, and focus on what really matters – affordable healthcare, great schools, roads, and public safety.
Minnesotans deserve a government that respects their hard work and uses their tax dollars wisely. It’s common sense. It’s what you deserve. And it’s the only way to stop this train before it goes off the rails.