Dear Neighbor,
The roadmap to conclude this legislative session remains undetermined as we approach the deadline of midnight Sunday to pass fiscal bills.
The state has a massive surplus and I remain adamant those dollars need to be converted to permanent, meaningful tax relief. If that’s not the case and House Democrats continue insisting on spending more tax dollars on government growth, then let’s leave the surplus alone and take another swing at it next year.
The last thing we should do is put these surplus dollars toward state programs, especially since our government already is fully funded for the biennium and our economy is teetering toward recession. This is not a budget year, there is no threat of a state shutdown and nothing must be done this year.
Time will tell how things shake out between now and Sunday night. I’m sure I will have plenty to say once the dust settles, so stay tuned.
I also am planning to co-host a town hall meeting in Frazee with Sen. Utke later this month to recap the 2022 legislative session so we can talk more there. The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. May 31 at the Frazee Event Center, 114 Lake St. N. Please call my office at (651) 296-9918 with any questions or for further details.
-Steve