Friends and neighbors, 

With 2023 coming to a close, I would like to share my thoughts on this past year and all that’s changed for our state. 

Back in January, I took the oath of office and began my fourth term in the Minnesota State Senate. Out of the eleven sessions I have experienced, the 2023 Minnesota legislative session was, in many ways, the most difficult.

With a $19 billion surplus at the legislature’s disposal, we had more than enough funding to provide for the needs of our state. Yet Democrats chose to turn a blind eye to Minnesotans and spent the entire surplus on their controversial agenda. But even the historic surplus was not enough. They also grew government by nearly 40% and raised your taxes and fees by another $10 billion.

With families across the state struggling to afford everyday necessities, we should have prioritized meaningful tax relief.  We should have put extra money into our highways and our capital improvement needs. We should not have put a record amount of mandated costs on our schools and then bragged about the increase in funding which might cover 30 to 40% of those costs. I also was extremely disappointed to see Democrats only pass meager rebate checks to some Minnesotans. Similarly, they failed to fully eliminate the tax on Social Security or pass any reduction in personal income tax rates.

The growth of government we saw this year is also unlike anything we’ve seen before. My Republican colleagues and I knew this level of spending would be unstainable, and we urged members across the aisle to practice fiscal responsibility. But unfortunately, our fears are now a reality. With a projected $2.3 billion deficit on the horizon, we are seeing the consequences of their out-of-control spending spree. In just one year, Democrats turned our surplus into a projected deficit. 

As we look to the 2024 legislative session, we must rein in bloated government spending and prioritize Minnesota taxpayers. Though we have a short-term $2.4 billion budget surplus, it does not give a pass for government to go on a runaway spending spree once again. In addition, there are a lot of mistakes in last year’s legislation that will need to be fixed next session. This includes the new school resource officer (SRO) law, which has caused a number of SROs to be pulled from schools. Mistakes in tax law must be fixed before returns are filed. Problems created for our schools by the unfunded mandates. But never fear, we changed our seal and flag which no one requested.  

Even with the issues that have arisen out of the 2023 session, it is still the greatest privilege to represent southwestern Minnesota and serve as your voice at the Capitol. A person asked me last spring, “How do you go to work each day knowing you will not win the vote?” My reply was simple. I stated, “The people of my district did not send me here to quit. They sent me here to represent them, state their values and fight for their needs. As long as I do that, I am doing what I need to do.” Regardless of what happens, I will continue to fight for you!

With the 2024 session set to begin in February, I want to hear from you, my constituents, on issues that are important to you. Please feel free to reach out to my office with any concerns or ideas you may have. You can contact my office at sen.bill.weber@mnsenate.gov or 651-296-5650.

Sincerely,

Bill Weber