Governor Tim Walz released his proposal for the upcoming two-year state budget on Tuesday. The Governor’s $52 billion budget proposal, including budgeted reserves, would be the largest budget in state history and represents an 8.1% increase over the previous state budget. In response, Senator Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) issued the following statement:

“Governor Walz’s budget proposal is the wrong approach for helping to boost Minnesota’s economy. “While the state’s economy is only growing at a rate of 2-3% per year. The Governor’s proposal increases spending by an astonishing 8.1%. This is an utterly unsustainable trend and does not represent responsible budgeting. Minnesota cannot afford the reckless government spending increases laid out in the proposal and should instead seek economic prosperity through support of middle-class families and growing the private sector.”

Governor Walz’s proposal would raise Minnesota’s gas tax by twenty cents, representing a massive 70 percent increase and vaulting Minnesota’s gas tax to 4th highest in the nation. It also includes increases to tab fees, the motor vehicle sales tax, the Metro Area sales tax, business taxes, and reinstatement of the sick tax, which is set to expire at the end of the year and would add $1 billion to the cost of healthcare for Minnesotans over the next two years.

You can watch the full Republican response to the Governor’s budget here.