Dear Neighbors,
On Wednesday, Governor Walz delivered his first State of the State address. I was blessed to once again be joined by my wife Keri at this year’s speech. While the Governor’s speech was light on policy proposals and actual solutions, I do appreciate his comments regarding bipartisanship and working together.
While the comments are appreciated, his words are going to have to be followed up with actions if we want to get out of St. Paul on time.
House DFL Unveils Transportation Plan
On Monday, House DFLers rolled out their transportation plan. Included in their proposal are a number of excessive taxes including a 70% gas tax increase
As Republicans, we believe that a modern and efficient transportation system is critical for the safety of Minnesotans and their families and for the thousands of businesses and manufacturers that rely on our roads and bridges every day to get goods to market.
Building and maintaining our transportation system is a core function of state government and should be prioritized by the legislature.
It is frustrating that Democrats’ solution for road and bridge funding is the same solution they have for every issue: raise more taxes, take more money, and make life more expensive for Minnesota families.
Instead of innovating and prioritizing transportation, Democrats are raising billions of dollars in regressive taxes at a time when Minnesota has a $1 billion surplus, and one year after Republicans put forward a blueprint for responsibly funding a core function of government — without a gas tax increase, using existing funds.
Stay tuned on this issue as it is likely to be one of the main sticking points to getting us out of St. Paul on time this session.
Staying in Touch
I will have more updates for you in the coming weeks as omnibus finance bills begin to move off the House floor later this month. The end of session is always a crazy time with a lot of moving pieces. As usual, I will do my absolute best to make sure you are informed.
Until then, please do not hesitate to contact me to share your thoughts and concerns regarding state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4333 or via email at rep.josh.heintzeman@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Josh