Dear Neighbors,
Reminder to join Senator Rob Farnsworth and myself for two town hall meetings tomorrow, Saturday.
The meetings will be a perfect opportunity for folks to come out and share their thoughts, questions, concerns, and more with us. It would be good to see and hear from you!
Details can be found below for tomorrow’s townhalls:
- Mt. Itasca in Coleraine at 10:00 AM
- JJ’s Coffee and Cream in Hibbing at 1:00 PM
We hope to see you there.
Budget Targets Released
Earlier this week, House and Senate leaders along with Gov. Walz released their preliminary budget targets. The targets give all of us an idea of how much new money they plan to spend in 2023 and the framework for doing so.
Unfortunately, it appears that the plan is to spend the entirety of the budget surplus (and more) with little tax relief. While we still don’t know all the specifics of how this will be spent, and I’m sure there will be plenty that is worthy of support, this sort of massive expansion in government spending is unsustainable.
I am concerned about the short and long-term ramifications of such a dramatic increase in spending. We will be likely looking at budget deficits in the not-so-distant future with all of us left holding the bag.
Stay tuned for more on this as the legislative session continues.
Thank You
Thanks to all of you that have reached out to me this week whether by phone or email to share your thoughts, questions, and concerns on a variety of issues that are important to you. Having to spend most of my weekdays in St. Paul, it is always so good to hear from folks back home.
Your messages of support and constructive criticism help guide my decision-making as I work hard to make sure the Iron Range is as strong as it can be now, and into the future. Together we can accomplish great things for our region and state.
Staying in Touch
Please continue to reach out to me to share what’s on your mind. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4936 or via email at rep.spencer.igo@house.mn.gov
Have a great day,
Spencer