Friends and neighbors,
With the conclusion of the special session, Minnesotans now have a clearer picture of where our state is headed. After weeks of closed-door negotiations, the Legislature adjourned following a one-day session during which 15 bills were passed.
The new two-year budget totals about $66 billion, with an additional $4.2 billion in new revenue expected over the next four years. Unfortunately, this revenue is not from economic growth. It comes from higher costs in health care, nursing homes, and a wide range of fees and taxes that will affect nearly every Minnesotan.
The process used to create the final budget before the special session was deeply flawed. Major decisions were made behind closed doors. There was little transparency, and Senate Republicans were mostly left out. This is not the kind of open government Minnesotans deserve, and it is far from the “One Minnesota” the governor often talks about.
Another problem is the use of omnibus bills. These large packages combine many unrelated policies and billions of dollars in spending into one vote. They usually include some good policies and important investments that I support. But when they are mixed with costly or harmful items, lawmakers have to accept everything or reject it all. This broken process makes responsible governing, accountability, and transparency very difficult.
With Democrats holding the Governor’s office and the Senate, negotiations were difficult, and not every outcome was ideal. But Republicans showed up and worked to hold the line on spending and push for common-sense solutions.
One important outcome was rolling back the expansion of taxpayer-funded MinnesotaCare health insurance to adults living in the state illegally. Originally expected to cover 5,000 people at a cost of $220 million, enrollment quickly surged past 20,000 within months, driving costs above $600 million. With our state facing a $6 billion deficit, refocusing those resources on legal residents was essential.
Republicans also stopped Democrats’ efforts to shift more costs onto local governments, such as cuts to local aid and asking counties to cover a larger share of social services. These would have simply led to higher property taxes. Still, more work is needed to control spending instead of forcing local taxpayers to pick up the slack.
Unfortunately, important efforts to put Minnesotans first were blocked.
At the start of the session, Senate Republicans identified over $500 million lost to waste, fraud, and abuse in state agencies. In response, we supported a bipartisan plan to create an independent Office of Inspector General. The proposal passed the Senate 60 to 7 and would have provided needed oversight to protect taxpayer dollars. But Governor Walz and House Democrats refused to act, leaving our state vulnerable and failing Minnesotans who expect accountability from their government.
These misplaced priorities extend to our schools as well. School districts face more than $420 million in cuts, including over $300 million from special education. Despite widespread calls for flexibility and relief from costly mandates, meaningful reforms were blocked. Senate Republicans offered two common-sense amendments, one to reduce burdens on schools and another to protect girls’ sports under Title IX. Both were voted down.
The final budget also cuts $161 million from nursing homes and nearly $1 billion from disability services over the next four years. At the same time, it raises a “granny tax” that adds $137 million in fees for nursing home residents. Vulnerable Minnesotans face painful cuts while state agencies receive a $770 million funding increase. The people who need help most are asked to pay more and settle for less. Why does government refuse to make these same tough cuts?
Our government must be efficient, accountable, and always put Minnesotans first.
Sincerely,
Gene