Senate Finance Chair Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont) and Minnesota Senate Republicans on Wednesday announced a series of proposals aimed at getting Minnesota on the Right Track by reducing crime, empowering parents, and helping Minnesotans afford everyday life.

“We are going to focus on the fundamentals that will get us on the Right Track once again,” Sen. Rosen said. “Crime is spiraling out of control, inflation is crushing middle-class and low-income families, and parents are being cut out of their kids’ education. I hear about these issues from people every single day. We’re not merely listening to their concerns; we are going to do something about it.”

Senate Republicans have had control of the Senate since 2017 and consistently stopped harmful tax increases on working and low-income Minnesotans. They stabilized the health care market in 2017 with the successful reinsurance program, consistently funded students in schools, and continue to reduce burdensome regulations on Main Street businesses.

Helping Minnesotans Afford Everyday Life

• Targeted, permanent income tax relief to low- and middle-income families 
• Eliminating the burdensome tax on Seniors’ Social Security 
• Tax credits for parents  
• No campaign gimmicks, just permanent savings for Minnesotans  

The state’s projected $7.7 billion surplus will be one of the most discussed items of the upcoming session. Following stubborn and record inflation from runaway congressional spending, Senate Republicans will offer a package of tax cuts targeted to working Minnesotans and seniors to help them afford their everyday life. The Senate’s priority is permanent, on-going tax cuts for lower- and middle-class Minnesotans and finally ending the state’s punitive and regressive tax on senior citizens’ social security.

Republicans already passed billions in tax cuts in the last five years, including exempting most seniors from taxes on social security and the first income rate tax cuts in 20 years.

Keeping Communities Safe

• Increase recruitment through grants and Pathways to Policing 
• Mandatory minimum sentences to keep violent offenders behind bars 
• Repeal the five-year cap on probation  
• Transparency in prosecution to keep county attorneys accountable

Record violent crime levels are dominating the headlines. Senate Republicans will address the urgent need to increase police presence, provide the tools and resources to fight crime, and recruit and retain police officers. Much of the crime wave can be attributed to progressive policies like reducing or eliminating bail so criminals get released right away, and county prosecutors ignoring various low-level crimes that only embolden bad actors. Senate Republicans will shine a light on these county policies to hold judges and prosecutors accountable, so the public will know who is taking public safety seriously.

Empowering Parents in Education 

• Expand funding and access to LETRS program so every kid can read 
• Affirm parent’s role in education and promote a Parent’s Bill of Rights 
• Reduce screen time and address mental health needs by keeping kids in the classroom

Finally, the closure of schools due to COVID has been an eye-opening experience for parents across the state. Senate Republicans will keep education policies simple and get schools back to the basics: improving reading and math scores and helping students recover from Covid learning loss.

Across the nation, many parents have raised concerns about their kids’ education coming at the cost of political activism. To that end, Republicans will propose increasing school transparency and accountability and empowering parents to be active partners in their child’s education.