On Thursday, Jan. 30, Senate Republicans held a press conference to introduce the Minnesotans First agenda for the 2025 session. The agenda aims to help Minnesotans with inflationary costs, rein in government spending, hold government accountable to fraud, keep Minnesotans safe, strengthen families, and protect children. 

“This session, Senate Republicans will focus on policies that put Minnesotans First,” Senator Bill Weber (R-Luverne) said. “We need a more balanced approach that addresses the needs of our state while avoiding further increases in debt and preventing future budget challenges. I am optimistic that, through bipartisan cooperation, we can tackle these critical issues and deliver solutions that benefit all Minnesotans.”

Minnesotans First has five planks, with the first plank dedicated to helping Minnesotans with the high cost of living. In the coming month, Senate Republicans will introduce legislation to address the high costs of energy, health care and housing. Senate Republicans will also work to stop tax increases and grow the economy with solutions to help Main Street businesses. By reducing the impacts of inflation, the Minnesotans First agenda seeks to let Minnesotans keep more of their hard-earned paychecks.

The second plank focuses on reining in runaway Democrat spending and stopping tax increases. Under Democratic leadership, the state has been pushed into a $5.1 billion deficit. To address the deficit, Governor Tim Walz proposed a slim sales tax cut and cutting spending on human and special education services. Recent committee hearings on his proposal, however, exposed that this will simply shift costs onto counties, which have no option but to increase property taxes.

Sen. Weber, the Republican chair of the Senate Taxes Committee, spoke about the governor’s tax shift in a recent committee hearing. “Governor Walz’s budget proposal shifts major costs onto local governments. Counties will have to raise property taxes to cover the gap, just like schools had to increase levies after Democrats imposed unfunded mandates,” Sen. Weber said.

Senate Republicans said they will not vote for a budget that increases taxes on Minnesotans after Democrats already raised $10 billion in new revenue in 2023. Instead, they aim to reduce the tax burden of working Minnesotans, prioritize spending on Minnesotans, and look for ways to make government more efficient.

Apart from the budget, the one topic everyone at the Capitol is working on is holding government accountable for waste, fraud, and abuse. Proposals for a statewide Office of Inspector General, strengthening the Office of the Legislative Auditor to annually review agency efforts, and mandating agencies follow through on anti-fraud efforts are all part of the Minnesotans First agenda.

Next, the Minnesotans First agenda centers on tackling public safety and crime. Senate Republicans will promote policies that support law enforcement’s responsibilities, propose tougher penalties on violent and repeat offenders, and invest in proven crime prevention strategies.

Finally, the Minnesotans First agenda is dedicated to putting students first, strengthening families, and protecting children. Republican Education Committee co-chairs started the session by inviting school officials to share how a bevy of mandates and increased spending has challenged their budgets and made it harder to meet academic achievement goals. Despite the historic funding increases, schools across the state are struggling to make ends meet due to the strings and regulations Democrats put on the funding.

Republicans will propose pausing mandates, adjusting student funding to address disparities, and addressing safety concerns and parental notifications. They also proposed protections for girls’ sports and continued their support for funding and improving Minnesota’s nursing homes.