Friends and neighbors: 

Tuesday, April 4 marked the end of legislative deadlines in which bills were required to make their way through the committee process. The Minnesota Legislature will now observe a short recess before returning to the Capitol on Tuesday, April 11. 

During the final months of the session, my colleagues and I will concentrate on crafting our state’s next two-year budget. Democrats recently rolled out their budget targets that spend all of the $17.5 billion surplus, increase taxes and fees, and grow the size and scope of government. In response, Senate Republicans put forward alternative budget targets and tax proposals prioritizing Minnesota’s needs and providing a path forward to invest in Minnesotans. The Senate Democrat majority rejected our offer. 

We Senate Republicans have been clear that our budget must prioritize permanent tax relief including the full elimination of the tax on Social Security income. It is also essential that we pass a strong bonding bill investing in critical local infrastructure projects as there are many projects across the state and in our communities that need our attention. 

At the same time, it is crucial to ensure investments in our nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and homes for the disabled. It is vital to provide meaningful funding to address the ongoing long-term care crisis. We also need additional funding for agriculture which was short-changed in the Democrats’ budget targets. This industry is crucial to our state and our communities, so we need to allocate additional money to ensure the agriculture industry continues to thrive. 

As a Republican, I feel this can all be done by reprioritizing how and where we spend taxpayer money. I will continue to provide updates as the budget bill packages make their way through the committee process. As always, I will prioritize policies that will improve the lives of hard-working Minnesotans. 

Sincerely, 

Senator Gary Dahms