Gov. Tim Walz told a crowd of business leaders Thursday evening that he needs their help to improve government efficiencies, prepare the state's future workforce and tackle the racial achievement gap.
In his first speech at the annual Minnesota Business Partnership dinner, Walz appealed to the powerful membership of the group, which largely supported GOP candidates in the last election, for additional tax dollars.
"Tax and regulatory environment matters to growth," Walz said. That means the state needs to make sure businesses are getting a strong return for their tax dollars, he said.
Walz stressed that the state is failing students of color in schools and said that has ramifications for businesses. A large percent of the workforce in the next 20 years is going to come from those communities, he said.
It's not the first time a governor has focused on the issue at the annual dinner. Former Gov. Mark Dayton announced at the 2015 dinner that addressing racial disparities was going to be a top priority and pushed businesses to do more.
Walz wrapped up his speech by praising a recent partnership between the state and private sector to address issues with the Minnesota Licensing and Registration System. Members of the Minnesota Business Partnership answered his call for help to create a committee of experts to evaluate problems with the system and recommend changes, Walz said.
"It's not the last time I'm going to ask. I'm asking you to get engaged," Walz said. "I'm asking us to take a look across the entire enterprise of government — how do we do it better?"
