Dear Neighbors,
Earlier this week, Gov. Walz released details of his budget proposal. As always, the governor’s budget proposal is a formality and should be seen as a conversation starter. Remember, the legislature determines how your tax dollars are allocated—not the governor.
With that said, Gov. Walz’s budget proposes spending more than $65 billion over the next two years. This would mark a nearly 25% increase in total government spending when compared to the last state budget that was approved in 2021. An increase of this size is totally reckless and something that should be rejected by lawmakers.
Further, Gov. Walz is proposing tax increases as part of his budget. This is unacceptable at a time when the state has a $17.5 billion budget surplus.
This bloated budget proposal includes new taxes on employees and new mandates on business, massive bureaucracies with hundreds of new state employees, and grows education spending without accountability to parents or student achievement.
Additionally, with a recession looming and with several large companies announcing layoffs in recent weeks, a budget of this size could prove to be even more reckless.
I look forward to digging into the details of the proposal in the weeks ahead, but the early impressions are not good.
Higher Energy Costs Coming Soon
On Thursday, the House approved a bill that has been dubbed the “Blackout Bill” because of the consequences if could have on our state. This legislation would require all electricity production in Minnesota to be carbon-neutral by 2040. In theory, the bill sounds nice. Who wouldn’t want clean energy after all?
The reality is that this bill will cost the average Minnesota family nearly $1,600 per year.
Legislation like this would align Minnesota’s energy policies with those of California and Germany where we have seen massive, rolling blackouts, and unreliable energy grids. In cold-weather states like ours, we depend heavily on energy. Can you imagine if your power was cut during a snowstorm?
Additionally, energy production is a major employer in our state and this bill would kill over 79,000 jobs across Minnesota.
We all want sustainable, clean energy. That’s why I support an “all-of-the-above” strategy that incorporates energy production from across the spectrum. We can provide the power we need without wreaking havoc on family budgets.
Staying in Touch
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me to share any thoughts or concerns you may have about state government or the job I'm doing as your representative. It would be great to talk with you. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-8237 or via email at rep.brian.daniels@house.mn.
Have a great day,
Brian