(The Center Square) – The Minnesota Senate on Tuesday pitched their version of next year’s budget to DFL representatives.
The DFL controls the House, and haven’t yet responded publicly to the proposal.
The GOP proposal is as follows:
State
- No tax increases
- Paycheck Protection Program tax relief for Mainstreet businesses (-$454.8 million, four years)
- Education Savings Accounts ($11.5 million, eventual savings)
- 5th and 6th years of health insurance stability (reinsurance)
- $100 million to state savings account
- State law enforcement officer pay increases
- Dedicate 60% (up from 52%) of sales tax on auto parts to fund roads and bridges
Federal
- No taxes on unemployment benefits up to $10,200 (-$259.7 million)
- Replenish Unemployment Insurance Trust fund ($600 million)
- Broadband ($100 million)
- Polar vortex natural gas rate relief ($100 million)
- June accelerated sales tax delay ($300 million)
- Frontline worker bonuses ($200 million)
- Transportation and Water Infrastructure ($1 billion)
Policy
- Voter ID
- Provisional Balloting
- Abortion facility licensure
- CA emissions standards 2-year delay
Emergency Powers
Support to remove all executive orders under existing emergency declaration, including but not limited to:
1. Mask requirements
2. Restrictions on schools, businesses, places of public accommodation, youth sports
3. Eviction moratorium
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, explained his reasoning for wanting to revoke the mask mandate.
“That doesn’t mean people can’t wear a mask,” Gazelka said in a news conference. “It doesn’t mean that businesses can’t choose what they want to do, but the governor shouldn’t have the ability to mandate on everybody wearing a mask.”
Instead, Gazelka prefers lawmakers work together to pass laws replacing any policy needed to replace Walz’s emergency powers, such as the eviction moratorium.
The House DFL hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment. However, prior negotiations seem to suggest they’ll reject many of these items.
With 13 days left in the regular session, there are hundreds of millions of dollars on the table in negotiations for the next two-year budget.
