Jasinski: Give the surplus back to taxpayers

Friends and neighbors –

This week, we learned that the state of Minnesota once again has a $17.5 billion surplus. It is a number so large it can be difficult to wrap your head around. At the capitol, discussions are focusing on what to do with this money.

My position is clear:  This is not the government’s money – it’s your money. You worked hard for it, and you deserve to get it back.

That’s why my Senate Republican colleagues and I rolled out our Give it Back plan, which would give back the surplus to you, the taxpayers. Our plan is tax relief for today and tomorrow through a combination of $12 billion worth of tax cuts and rebate checks.

We would cut income taxes for every Minnesotan, fully eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits, provide a child tax credit to help young families, provide property tax relief for homeowners, and send rebate checks directly to Minnesotans.

This plan would boost our economy, create jobs, and help people who are feeling the stress of inflation and the high costs of everyday life. It would also prevent wasteful spending and government growth that would lead to future deficits.

Unfortunately, Governor Walz and Democrats want to spend more of your money on their pet projects and special interests. Not only do they want to spend the surplus, but they also want to raise your taxes on top of it. It’s bad for our economy, bad for Minnesotans, and bad for our competitiveness.

Minnesota deserves better than this reckless approach. We deserve a government that respects our taxpayers and lives within its means. It’s time to put your money back in your pocket where it belongs.

Youth Skills Training Grant for Owatonna and Faribault Public Schools

I am pleased to announce that Owatonna Public Schools and Faribault Public Schools have received Youth Skills Training Grants in the amount of $82,000 and $70,043 respectively.

These grants will allow Owatonna and Faribault schools to expand local paid work experience offerings to students in the areas of health science, information technology, and agriculture.

The Youth Skills Training program promotes and supports local partnerships between schools, employers, and community groups. These partnerships provide students with classroom instruction, safety training, industry-recognized credentials, and paid work experience in high-growth and high-demand industries like advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care, tech, and more.

It is a win-win for our students and our community. It will help our students discover their passions, develop their talents and achieve their goals. It will also help our employers find qualified workers and strengthen our local economy.

Contact me:

If you have any questions about any issues we are working on at the legislature, feel free to contact me any time at sen.john.jasinski@senate.mn or 651-296-0284.

And you can always get the latest news from St. Paul on my Facebook page at fb.com/SenatorJohnJasinski.

 It is a privilege to serve you!

John