SAINT PAUL, MN – Representative Jerry Hertaus (R-Greenfield) issued the following statement regarding Tuesday's budget proposal by Governor Mark Dayton:
“Throughout the campaign, voters expressed a desire that government begin to live within its means. This budget is the largest ever in state history, and a dramatic increase of state spending. For every dollar of cuts the Governor is proposing, he is asking for $15 in tax increases—hardly the balanced approach promised by the DFL during the campaign. Minnesota’s economy is growing at a rate of 3% per year, and yet Governor Dayton is insisting on a spending increase of 7.6%. This trend is simply unsustainable.
“On top of the spending increases, this budget raises taxes on middle class families by raising the sales tax on items like clothing, haircuts, and over-the-counter medicine. This is the wrong approach for Minnesota families, and the wrong approach to solving our budget deficit.”