On Wednesday, Senate Republicans will hold a press conference to announce session priorities to get Minnesota on the Right Track. Their focus this session will be on affording everyday life, reducing crime, and empowering parents. Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) released the following statement addressing his caucuses priorities this upcoming session
“The Senate is prioritizing tackling the tough issues that most Minnesotans care about,” Johnson said. “We are working to reduce costs and give significant tax relief for Minnesota families, improve public safety, and empower parents in their children’s education. So much of our state is on the wrong track and we are committed to implementing common-sense solutions to get Minnesota back on the right track.”
The state’s projected $7.7 billion surplus will be one of the most discussed items in St. Paul. Following record inflation, Senate Republicans are pitching a series of tax cuts targeted to working Minnesotans, families, and seniors to help them afford their everyday life. Republicans passed several tax cuts in the last five years including the first income rate tax cuts in 20 years.
Record violent crime levels are dominating the headlines. The Senate is focused on addressing 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 extreme policies that only embolden bad actors. The Senate’s policies will take a tough-on-crime approach. These policies have the goal of reducing crime, holding criminals accountable, and giving justice to victims.
Finally, the closure of schools due to COVID has been an eye-opening experience for parents across the state. Across the nation, many parents have raised concerns about their kids’ education coming at the cost of political activism. To that end, Republicans propose increasing transparency and accountability in our school system and are working to empower parents to be active partners in their child’s education.
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 very successful reinsurance program, passed record funding for students in schools. Senate Republicans also continue to reduce burdensome regulations on Main Street businesses and support economic development across the state.
