RELEASE: Statement from Leader Daudt on budget deal

ST. PAUL, MN — House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, issued the following statement after the budget agreement unveiled by DFL Speaker Melissa Hortman, GOP Senate Majority Leader , and Governor Walz.

"It's unfortunate that Democrats demanded tax increases that will raise the cost of health care on Minnesota families by more than $2 billion," Daudt said. "Democrats campaigned on lowering health care costs, but chose to send us into an unnecessary special session by demanding health care tax increases."

With a special session looming, House Republican votes will be needed if House leadership wishes to suspend the rules for a one-day special session, or for any general-obligation bonding bill. Leader Daudt said Sunday that House Republicans did not plan to put up votes for a suspension of the rules or a bonding bill as a result of a budget deal that raises the cost of health care on Minnesotans.

"House Republicans will not vote to accelerate a budget deal that raises health care costs. This was the least transparent session in Minnesota history—Speaker Hortman's promises of transparency proved to be nothing more than lip service. House Democrats excluded the voices of legislators representing hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans, and failed to get their work done on time," Daudt concluded.

Last year, Speaker Hortman tweeted "The dynamic of five individuals meeting with staff behind closed doors has to stop. We need a new construct for our conversations that brings the give and take and debate fully into public view." This year, budget talks concluded with just three individuals and staff in the room.

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