Dear Neighbors,
The legislature returned from its annual Easter/Passover break this week for what’s sure to be a fast-paced final six weeks before final adjournment in mid-May. On Wednesday, we began debating and voting on omnibus budget bills. The first two that were approved this week were the Legacy Bill and the Higher Education Bill. Each of the dozen or so omnibus bills will be hundreds of pages long and constitute the entirety of the state’s two-year budget.
Democrats and Gov. Walz are proposing a 40% increase in overall government spending, bringing the state’s budget all the way to $72 billion. For comparison the last budget that was approved in 2021 was just under $52 billion. Such a dramatic increase in spending and government growth is reckless, unsustainable, and likely sets us up for future budget deficits.
This budget resolution was adopted on Thursday in the House Ways and Means Committee. You can see that the budget has been set at just a shade under $72 billion.
In addition to the spending, they are looking to use up the entire $17.5 billion budget surplus on more government growth and are planning to raise taxes by billions of dollars.
This week, I gave an update on the Public Safety Budget Bill to leadership of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA)
I will have more details for you as the big-ticket omnibus bills begin to roll out to the House floor for votes. House Republicans will be fighting to make sure that Democrats have to answer for their reckless spending, unnecessary tax hikes, and radical policies.
Staying in Touch
Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas on ways to improve state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4237 or via email at rep.paul.novotny@house.mn.gov
Have a good day,
Paul