Senate Republicans announce “Advancing Minnesota” agenda, promising a better future for Minnesotans

Senate Republicans released their Advancing Minnesota agenda, preparing to build on early successes this session with additional improvements to Minnesota’s tax climate, job outlook, transportation infrastructure, education and healthcare systems, and the state budget.

“We chose the word advancing because it means ‘moving forward.’ The status quo is not good enough; we have a bold vision to Advance Minnesota in a way that makes people’s lives dramatically better for years to come,” said Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa).

You deserve a cash Advance!

The last time one of Minnesota’s major tax rates actually saw a cut was seventeen years ago. Income taxes, sales taxes, gas taxes and property taxes have all gone up during that time, but never down.

The Senate Republicans’ plan will Advance Minnesota’s economy by letting families and businesses keep more of the money they earn with a tax relief package that delivers permanent tax relief for every taxpayer, without picking winners and losers.  Lower taxes put more money into the economy to promote business investment, innovation and higher productivity so all Minnesotans can take care of their families.

You deserve a better job and a raise!

Despite slow and steady job growth, Minnesota still faces three major challenges in the years ahead. The first is simple demographics – more people retiring than entering the workforce. The second is training – too many good-paying jobs in the trades and technical fields are going unfilled because of our failure to align workers with the jobs companies need them to do. The third is overregulation – making job creators jump through unnecessary hoops making it harder to compete with other states. We can’t do much about demographics but we can improve the business climate with better training and less regulation.

The Senate Republicans’ plan will Advance Minnesota’s productivity by making it easier for job creators to cut through red tape and comply with state regulations. Small businesses will hire more people and raise wages if we can reduce some of their unnecessary costs and burdens and give them greater consistency between local, state and federal regulations. We will also improve programs to connect workers to growing industries.

You deserve more time with your family and less time in traffic!

Although Minnesota already spends $2 billion per year on our transportation infrastructure, the need for increased road and bridge funding has been well established in Minnesota. Both Democrats and Republicans have put forward significant proposals in recent years and we believe 2017 is the year to get a real, long-term transportation funding package passed by the legislature and signed into law.

The Senate Republicans’ plan will Advance Minnesota  by making road and bridge funding a priority in the state’s general fund without sacrificing our commitment to other parts of the budget such as K-12 funding or healthcare.

Your kids deserve the best education possible!

While education should be the great equalizer in our society, our persistent achievement gap continues to be Minnesota’s greatest challenge. Black students trail their white counterparts by 38.2% on math achievement tests and 34.3% on reading tests. Only 52% of black students in the Minneapolis School District graduate on time. What we’ve been doing isn’t working – it’s time to try something new, something bold.

The Senate Republicans’ plan Advances Minnesota’s future through proven tools, powerful incentives and promising innovations that focus on students. We will fund what works in education – the great equalizer.

You deserve a healthcare system focused on you!

Not too long ago, Minnesota led the nation in healthcare delivery, costs and outcomes. With the passage of Obamacare and MNsure, we’ve lost sight of taking care of people and instead focus too much on websites, premiums and insurance policies.

The Senate Republicans’ plan will Advance Minnesota’s healthcare marketplace with real reforms that pass the cost-benefit test, so we can return Minnesota to our nation-leading position in healthcare access and delivery.

You deserve the freedom to live and thrive in Greater Minnesota!

While the state of Minnesota is rebounding from the recession, not everyone is doing better. Unemployment in much of Greater Minnesota is more than double that of the Twin Cities.

The Senate Republicans’ plan will Advance Greater Minnesota’s economy while safeguarding our natural resources, including cutting government red tape, making it easier to comply with regulations, and making government agencies more user-friendly.

You deserve less wasteful spending!

The state budget has grown from $35.3 billion in 2012-13 to a projected $44.6 billion for 2018-19. That’s almost $10 billion in new spending in seven years! Minnesota taxpayers cannot sustain that level of spending.

The Senate Republicans’ plan will Advance Minnesota’s real priorities by ending the “auto pilot” increases built in to our legacy programs. There is a role for state government to take care of people, but we must do it in a more efficient and effective manner.

Senate Republicans plan to bring forward specific proposals to move forward in these important areas after updated budget forecast numbers are announced in late February. The 2018-19 budget proposal will be a value statement representing a clear vision for Advancing Minnesota into the next decade.

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