Senate Democrats increase taxes on every working family
Excessive spending and tax increases define 2016 session. Meanwhile, no progress on transportation and real tax relief. (St. Paul, MN…) Today Senate Democrats went “all out,” passing not one, but two tax increases on Minnesota’s…
Senate Republicans place spending priority on transportation
Senate Republicans criticized the DFL’s supplemental spending bill today and announced they will amend the bill on the floor to provide a one-time boost to transportation funding of over $450 million. The money will be…
To Avoid Last Minute Lawmaking, New Deadline Proposed
A bipartisan group of Senators (Sen. Carla Nelson, Sen. Roger Reinert, Sen. Jeremy Miller, Sen. LeRoy Stumpf, and Sen. Karin Housley) want to end last minute lawmaking. They have proposed adding a new legislative deadline…
Senate Republicans Call on Sen. Bakk to Release Email Regarding Cook County Resolution
(St. Paul, MN…) Senate Minority Leader David Hann sent a letter to Majority Leader Tom Bakk today asking him to make public an email he sent to Cook County businessman Dennis Rysdahl. Rysdahl mentioned the…
Senate DFL Spending Proposal is Reckless and Unsustainable
Statement from Senate Republican Leader David Hann on the Senate Budget Targets “This spending proposal is reckless and unsustainable. Yesterday we heard Minnesota income tax revenues are falling $70 million behind forecast and the economy…
Senate Republicans Unveil Legislative Priorities for 2016
Transportation and tax relief lead “Ideas That Work” agenda Senate Republicans unveiled their priorities for the 2016 legislative session today renewing their call for a long-term transportation plan and tax cuts for seniors and veterans.…
Governor Dayton’s priorities “out of whack”
Republican Leader David Hann released the following statement following the governor’s supplemental budget proposal: “The two things that didn’t get done in the 2015 budget were tax cuts and transportation funding. Today the governor’s supplemental…
Week two of session and Sen. Jim Abeler still not on any legislative committees
Bakk announces he plans to ignore Senate rules to get Sen. Marty on Finance Committee (St. Paul. MN…) Senate Republicans again questioned the Senate DFL’s refusal to approve committee assignments for newly-elected Sen. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka).…
Report Shows Minnesota Lost Nearly $1 Billion in Taxpayer Income Following 2013 Tax Increase
The “Minnesotans on the Move to Lower Tax States 2016” report released today by Center of the American Experiment documents, on net, a nearly $1 billion loss of Minnesota income to other states between 2013…
DFL refuses to give newly-elected Sen. Jim Abeler a seat on legislative committees
Residents of Anoka, Ramsey, Andover, and Coon Rapids denied representation (St. Paul. MN…) Senate Republicans today questioned the Senate DFL’s refusal to approve committee assignments for newly-elected Sen. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka). The request was sent to…
The Republican State of the State
(As delivered by Sen. Paul Gazelka on MN News Network radio) If you listened to the “State of the State” speech tonight, you heard the governor take credit for some things that are going very…
Senate DFL Reveals Existence of Secret Committee That Decides Committee Structure
During discussion of the Senate’s new Environment and Energy Budget Division it was revealed that the decision to create the new committee was made by a previously unknown “committee on reorganization” within the DFL Caucus…
Senate DFL Empowers Liberal Environmentalists, Greater Minnesota Loses Again
Internal leadership squabble results in loss of metro-rural balance on important committee Senate Republicans criticized a recent change in the committee structure that puts Sen. John Marty, the legislature’s most radical environmentalist, in charge of…
Childcare providers win freedom from unionization!
Statement of Senate Republican Leader David Hann on the childcare unionization election results: “Today Minnesota childcare providers voted against forming a union, strongly rejecting Gov. Mark Dayton’s attempt to force unionization on their small businesses.…
Senate Republicans Propose Education Reforms for 2016 Session
Empowering families and improving accountability the focus of third installment of Your Schools, Your Needs plan. (St. Paul. MN…) Senate Republicans today announced a series of proposals to improve K-12 education in Minnesota that focus…
Theme of budget forecast is “slower growth”
Statement of Republican Leader David Hann on the February budget forecast: “The theme of this forecast is ‘slower growth.’ Slower growth in revenue, slower growth in the economy, slower growth in wages. Our response needs to…
Sen. Hann pledges cooperation, but not signature, for special session
Senate Republican Leader David Hann responded to Gov. Dayton’s letter regarding a special session telling the governor he doesn’t think a special session is necessary but would cooperate if one was called. Hann also informed…
More incompetence at MNsure, hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars wasted
Another damning audit by the nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor found up to 49% of MNsure enrollees were ineligible for the taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits they received between January to May 2015. Furthermore, nine of…
Opinion: Senate building’s parking subsidies are a worthy addition to a boondoggle
Opinion by Sen. David Osmek (Mound), republished from the Star Tribune: As if on cue, the Star Tribune Editorial Board continues to come to the rescue of the new Minnesota Senate Building, which opens for…