Dear Neighbors,
The 2020 legislative session officially began Tuesday afternoon. Most of Tuesday’s floor session was spent honoring the memory of three National Guardsmen that were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in December. Please be sure to keep the families of Chief Warrant Officer James Rogers, Jr., Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles Nord, and Sgt. Kort Plantenberg in your prayers.
Heading into the 2020 Session, state government is fully funded, our budget reserve is at an all-time high, and Minnesota has a budget surplus of $1.3 billion.
My top-level priorities this year include returning the state’s sizable budget surplus back to Minnesotans through tax relief. Some ideas include getting rid of the unfair social security tax that hurts so many of our seniors and additional relief for veterans and their families. Ideally, I would like to see a tax bill passed that is at least the size of the massive tax relief legislation we approved in 2017. That bill slashed taxes for Minnesotans of all income levels and a similar approach is what we should look to do yet again this year.
I also plan to work hard to hold the line on any additional government spending. With the government already fully funded, there is no reason why we should pursue additional programs that grow the size of government and take more money out of the pockets of hard-working Minnesotans.
Finally, I am looking forward to holding the Walz administration accountable for the problems that have impacted the Department of Human Services (DHS) this summer and fall.
Minnesotans are frustrated with the endless news of chaos, misspending, and mismanagement at DHS. Rather than forcing taxpayers to pay even more and cover the tens of millions of dollars that Minnesota owes to the federal government, DHS should take responsibility for the mess they created and find those savings within their $17 billion budget. I will also push for an independent forensic audit of DHS, an idea endorsed by Governor Walz, that will weed out even more waste and fraud.
Please be sure to reach out to me to share any thoughts, questions, or concerns you have related to state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-8237 or via email at rep.brian.daniels@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Brian