As the legislature works to assemble a final state budget agreement, Senator Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls) will serve on the conference committees for the jobs, energy, and commerce budget bill, as well as the taxes bill. The conference committees, which each include five members of the House and five members of the Senate, are responsible for working out a compromise on differences in the bills passed by both bodies. 

“I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on solutions that work for our constituents. We must balance encouraging economic growth and opportunity with our state’s budget realities,” said Senator Dahms. “I will be an advocate for the bills passed by the Senate, which fund Minnesotans’ priorities without raising taxes. We have hard work ahead of us, but I am optimistic we will arrive at a compromise that yields good results for our state.”

Last week, the Minnesota Senate passed the first income tax rate cut in nearly two decades. That bill would make significant updates to the state’s tax laws, expanding deductions for farmers and small businesses, reducing the statewide property tax levy, and lowering taxes on affordable housing. The bill would also increase the income tax subtraction for Social Security benefits, expand the K-12 education tax credit, and create an innovative Opportunity for All Kids scholarship for low-income students.

The Senate also passed a comprehensive jobs and economic growth, energy, and commerce budget. The budget would make a substantial investment in workforce development, skills training, employment disparities, and economic growth, prioritize energy efficiency, act as a check on the state’s bureaucracy, and crack down on health care fraud.

Conference committees will begin meeting this week and will continue until an agreement is reached. After a conference committee has passed compromise legislation, both legislative bodies must vote to approve the agreement before sending it to the governor for a signature or veto. The legislature is constitutionally-mandated to adjourn by May 20.

Senator Gary Dahms, of Redwood Falls, represents communities in Brown, Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood, Renville, and Yellow Medicine counties in the Minnesota Senate. Senator Dahms serves as chair of the Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy Committee and is an assistant majority leader.