Dear Neighbors,
This week, House Democrats officially unveiled their transportation proposal. Unfortunately, their answer for road and bridge funding is the same answer they have for every issue: raise more taxes, take more money, and make life more expensive for Minnesota families.
Included in the plan is a proposal to raise the gas tax by 70%, raise tab fees, increase the metro area sales tax, and a number of other tax increases.
This massive 70% gas tax increase will hurt family budgets and raise the cost of everyday goods and services throughout Minnesota. House Republicans showed you can make responsible investments in roads and bridges without increasing the gas tax last session when we delivered the largest transportation budget in state history without a gas tax hike.
Now Governor Walz and Democrats want to raid the funds that were set aside for roads and bridges last session to pay for other things in their budget. That is wrong.
Senate Republicans have a much more sensible approach: invest in roads and bridges using the tax dollars Minnesotans are already giving us. We don't need to be raising the gas tax when Minnesota has a budget surplus.
HHS Omnibus Bill Released
I will spend more time in future weeks discussing the details of omnibus bills as they move through the process. However, I wanted to share the exciting news that my legislation that would extend health coverage to individuals suffering from ectodermal dysplasia was included in the omnibus bill.
While there still is a long way to go before this crosses the finish line, this is certainly an exciting and encouraging development.
Stay tuned for more information on this as the session progresses.
Governor Walz Delivers State of the State
On Wednesday, Governor Walz delivered his first state of the state address. In his speech, Governor Walz urged lawmakers to work together to move Minnesota forward. I appreciate his words, but I hope his actions back up what he’s saying.
The Governor in recent weeks has been “complaining” in the news media that the legislature hasn’t heard any of his bills. This is an interesting comment from the Governor as he does not have “bills”. He cannot write and introduce legislation.
The Senate and the House are co-equal branches of government and are on a level playing field with the Governor.
I wish the Governor would spend less time complaining and criticizing the legislature and instead work to bridge the earnest differences we have with him. At the end of the day, he’s going to need the Senate Republicans to work with him if we’re going to get a budget done on time.
Staying in Touch
That’s all for this week’s update. I will have more for you as the session progresses as it’s sure to be a busy year. In the meantime, I urge you to contact me if you have any legislative questions, concerns, or ideas. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-5356 or via email at rep.john.poston@house.mn.
Have a good weekend,
John