Rep. Tony Albright Statement on Gov. Walz's Budget Proposal
SAINT PAUL, MN – Gov. Tim Walz released his $52 billion budget proposal for the 2021-2022 biennium on Tuesday. His plan proposes $1.7 billion in new taxes, including a 15% tax increase on businesses and a 10% hike on Minnesota’s top tax bracket. The proposal only calls for $150 million in cuts, or about 0.3% of the budget.
Rep. Tony Albright, R-Prior Lake, released the following statement in reaction to the Governor’s proposed budget:
“Minnesota families and businesses need a state budget that will protect them from harmful and unnecessary tax hikes as we begin our economic recovery from Gov. Walz’s devastating COVID shutdowns. We should be prioritizing those who were most impacted in the last year. Instead, estimates show we are only helping families in the lowest income bracket by $3 a month.
“We need to grow our way out of this self-imposed recession, not hinder our economy. These tax hikes are unnecessary when we have ample reserves to help us balance our budget. If our families can tighten their budgets, so too can government. Gov. Walz has done nothing to cut spending. His hiring freeze from last April has instead resulted in more employees on the state payroll today. We must rein in spending and tap the budget reserve to solve the deficit without Gov. Walz’s harmful tax hikes.”