Dear Neighbors,
Earlier this week, House and Senate Democrats along with Gov. Walz released their joint budget targets. The targets reveal how much new money they plan to spend in 2023 and the framework for doing so.
In total, Democrats and Gov. Walz are looking to spend more than the entire $17.5 billion budget surplus on growing the size of government. Contrary to what Gov. Walz might have you believe, this budget is focused on growing government, not giving money back to Minnesotans.
Our historic surplus should have been the impetus for tax cuts, not massively expanding government and charging the taxpayer for it.
I am extremely concerned that Democrats are on the verge of the largest expansion of government in the history of Minnesota. If their plans go through as proposed, they are going to turn a $17.5 billion surplus into a multi-billion-dollar deficit in one budget cycle.
Stay tuned for more on this.
Bills Moving Forward
Two bills I have authored are moving forward this legislative session.
The first, House File 909, would require places of public accommodation to provide closed-captioned television when a television is available.
This bill has strong bipartisan support in the House and I expect it to be on the House Floor for a vote sometime soon. It also has the support of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing.
The second, House File 2104, is a simple bill to correct a statutory interpretation by building inspectors regarding window-washing anchor systems for buildings that are six stories or less. The Department of Labor and Industry has admitted this is an issue that has resulted in developers paying upwards of $100,000 for systems that were not necessary.
Removing this burdensome and unnecessary regulation is the right thing to do.
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