The legislative session ahead: Republican priorities

Opinion editor’s note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here. This article was written by Mark Johnson, the Republican leader in the Minnesota Senate.

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Democrats control most of Minnesota’s government and had a never-before-seen opportunity to invest in Minnesotans’ needs and priorities. When many were still wrestling with the effects of inflation, Democrats significantly damaged the state and family budgets trying to buy their way out of every problem.

With a $17.5 billion surplus, Democrats raised our taxes by $10 billion! They broke their promises to end the tax on Social Security income and provide $2,000 rebate checks, instead giving most Minnesotans a paltry $260 — that’s taxable by the IRS. Democrats are giddy to build a $750 million political palace, while you, hardworking Minnesotan, are still crunching the numbers to afford your groceries.

The overtly partisan approach to governance left us facing challenges. In five months, Democrats destroyed our state’s reliable fiscal outlook, broke their promises to Minnesotans and put your prosperity at risk. Senate Republicans will look to repair the damage done by Democrats with commonsense, bipartisan solutions.

First, it’s a bonding year. We will stand up for communities across the state and prioritize a bonding bill that meets the most important needs. Clean water, safe roads and bridges, building maintenance, and not maxing out the taxpayer’s credit card are priorities we share with constituents. We’ll start from there; it’s up to the majority to work with us to get a bipartisan bill passed.

We should all agree to no new taxes or fees — there is no need for more revenue after last session. Massive spending increases won’t stop unless there is a bipartisan agreement that government has enough of your money. We want to repair your family budget by stopping the inflationary tax on gas and the home delivery fee before they start. We hope Democrats can agree they overreached into your pocketbook last year.

The sanctuary state bill will bring the border crisis to our backyard; we strongly oppose these efforts, as they will further erode the current strain on services. Federal agencies reduced violent crime in Minneapolis and are leading the way on fraud investigations. They have stepped up when the state failed to control fraud and crime. Preventing coordination will not keep Minnesota safe nor protect the services that legal residents require.

For several years, Republicans passed historic education funding focused on students. Last year, Democrats saddled schools with oppressive mandates devouring any budget increases. Many districts are facing difficult decisions to either increase their property taxes or make painfully deep cuts to existing programs. We propose repealing the oppressive mandates and allowing schools to make local decisions about how best to educate, hire and support their students and staff.

After Democrats sent nearly a billion dollars to nonprofits run by their allies and friends, we propose eliminating future funding to political organizations. There are many organizations doing amazing work, but as the Feeding Our Future scandal shows, the system is rife with fraud. The Office of the Legislative Auditor has consistently chided agencies for too little oversight. The funding has to stop until controls are in place.

We need to repair the financial future for our local charities. Many charitable games run through American Legions, VFWs and youth sports associations are facing financial ruin after Democrats made changes to their successful gaming programs. Democrats should do the right thing and help us to stop the damage before it starts.

We will listen to Minnesotans and work to give them a voice on the state flag. Whether we like the flag is not the question — the question is whether Minnesotans’ voices matter, and a recent poll showed 70% of people don’t want to use the new flag. The flag represents all of us. It shouldn’t be forced on us by an unelected panel.

Twenty years ago, Minnesota lead in affordable, accessible health care. Senate Republicans protected health care with innovative policies subsequently adopted across the nation. After just one session of Democrat control, our hospital systems are struggling, nursing homes are closing, and the workforce is far behind what we need. We will repair the damage to health care, support our nursing homes and protect the choices consumers want in the health insurance market.

Finally, we must repair the student resource officer (SRO) program. Democrats ignored Republican concerns about the impact on law enforcement during session last year. We agree with 90% of students who appreciate their SROs and want them in schools. Democrats should remove their partisan blinders and work with us toward a fix we all support.

With one-party control for five months, Democrats damaged our state and your budget. This year we can pass a bipartisan bonding bill, stop tax increases and the sanctuary state bill, fix nonprofit funding and help local charities, protect your health care options, and get SROs in schools. These are the repairs we propose to get our state and your family on sure footing.

Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, is minority leader in the Minnesota Senate.