Senator Rich Draheim (R-Madison Lake) issued the following statement after Governor Tim Walz’s Department of Revenue released a report revealing the State of Minnesota’s April revenues to be $489 million more than projected, a 17.1% increase. Since the beginning of the 2019 fiscal year, the state has taken in a total of $573 million more in taxpayer funds than originally forecasted.

“Simply, this report indicates the State of Minnesota is taking more money from taxpayers than it needs,” said Senator Draheim. “This is on top of a billion-dollar surplus from the previous two-year budget. This proves we do not need a gas tax increase, tab fee increase, or any other tax increase to fund the priorities of Minnesotans. Instead, we should reward hardworking Minnesota families by allowing them to keep more of their paychecks. I will continue to support a balanced budget that prioritizes Minnesota families, not growing government bureaucracy.