Dear Neighbors and Friends,
The legislature has been in session for eight weeks with the House majority passing several attention-grabbing bills. Now, state agency officials have started to come before House Committees to discuss details of how their departments and state agencies would be impacted by Governor Walz’s recent budget proposal. The governor is proposing to increase the state budget by nearly 25%.
I was shocked during a State and Local Government Finance and Policy Committee hearing when Attorney General Keith Ellison and his staff could not give us details on how much new funding their department could be expected to receive as part of the proposed budget. The lack of preparation from the governor’s administration is truly staggering. We later found out they are seeking an astonishing 75% increase!
This is emblematic of a larger problem we have seen play out in St. Paul during the first two months of the legislative session. House Democrats have been operating at an unprecedented pace as they spend and pass extreme policies with limited time in committee for debate on bills and amendments.
I aired some of this frustration in committee earlier this month. At the end of the day, we are a deliberative body, and the majority party should welcome discussion and debate on bills. Instead, they have stifled discussion to move as fast as they can, often without fiscal notes. Many of the bills moving through committee are extremely consequential to the future of Minnesota and they deserve our full attention. Robust conversations and the consideration of amendments is an important part of committee hearings, the legislative process and floor proceedings.
Watch my comments from earlier this month by clicking here or the photo below.
Increased Taxes in Governor’s Budget? Don’t we have Billions in surplus?
Governor Walz is looking to raise taxes on every man, woman, and child in Minnesota as part of his budget proposal. This is shockingly tone-deaf at a time when the state has a $17.5 billion budget surplus. This surplus is because you are being overtaxed. That’s why I have supported giving the surplus back to you through permanent and meaningful tax relief.
In his budget, the governor does propose returning some of the surplus through tax credits and rebate checks. But both of those proposals limit eligibility by income, thus many who have contributed to the surplus will not get their money back. He also walked back on his campaign promise to fully exempt social security benefits from state taxes.
We encourage Governor Walz to get serious about returning the full surplus back to ALL Minnesotans.
Local Issues
I am proud to have introduced legislation that provides funding for the design, engineering, planning, and right-of-way acquisition for updates to the interchange at I-35 and County Highway 2 in Scott County—located just outside Elko New Market.
This funding is needed for improvements at this interchange to support future and current traffic capacity and operational needs. As Elko New Market continues to grow, it is critical that we make sure infrastructure keeps pace with new needs. I am hopeful we can get this bill across the finish line in the future and make sure this project continues moving forward.
Thanks for the support from city and county officials as we’ve worked on this issue with us.
Going to STATE!, Staying in Touch
I’m pictured here with Taylor and new baby girl, Winter. Taylor was part of a Charter school one day internship.
Good luck to the Lakeville North Girls Hockey Team and Mac!
We know it’s state hockey tournament time when the big snowstorms hit!
I hope everyone stays safe, but can also get a chance to support all of our teams participating in state tournaments. Last weekend both North and South Dance lines made us proud. If you want your students mentioned, please let me know, send a picture, and we will try to share their accomplishments. We are proud of all of you!
While there is a lot happening daily at the capitol, I still enjoy making time for visits in St. Paul and back in-district. I appreciate your trust and support as I represent our shared values. We remain committed to advocating for you to make our state stronger and better by protecting our families, our freedoms, and our state’s future.
Jon Koznick
State Representative