The legislative session has wrapped up here in Minnesota, where we are carefully reflecting on the outcomes and how they will affect our lives. But what happened here in Minnesota shouldn’t just be a point of consideration for our own residents, but coast to coast as we examine the dangerous, lasting impacts of what has become a national test kitchen for extreme liberalism.
Minnesotans voted for single-party control of state government last fall. Democrats won full control, in large part, by making promises on the campaign trail they clearly never intended to keep. Democrats promised popular things like tax relief and support for law enforcement, and said they'd help Minnesotans struggling with rising costs in their everyday lives. They broke those promises and we're all going to pay the price.
In this first session of full control, Democrats pivoted to advance a radical agenda, moving fast and furious to enact a laundry list of partisan priorities, and they’re sending Minnesotans the bill.
Minnesota’s historic $17.5 billion surplus even had Democrats pledging tax relief in the form of returning the surplus. On the campaign trail, Gov. Tim Walz promised Minnesotans huge $2,000 rebate checks. But then Democrats started spending, and they quickly realized they’d rather use that surplus themselves to increase state spending by a staggering 40 percent than give it back to our state’s overcharged taxpayers. I’m already hearing from constituents who are disappointed to learn the rebate checks are a measly $260 for a select few Minnesotans, and many won’t see a penny.
The full elimination of the tax on Social Security is another area of tax relief that had bipartisan support. Several Democrats in both the House and Senate campaigned on the issue and said they would hold their votes to get it. Republicans gave plenty of opportunities for them to join us and hold true to that promise, but, once again, they were already committed to spending taxpayer money and no longer wanted to provide relief. They chose political paybacks over seniors, and Minnesota will continue to be one of only 11 states that still tax income from Social Security benefits.
It gets worse: not only did Democrats fail to keep their promise on reducing taxes, but they also actually raised taxes. Democrats raised nearly $10 billion in taxes and fees across the budget — and we're still counting. Minnesotans will pay more when they get their car tabs renewed, register their boats, buy gas, order online, shop in the Twin Cities metro area or buy a car. All workers will pay new taxes for a new statewide mandate and bureaucracy for an untested paid-leave system that will eliminate private paid-leave benefits many workers already have and like. Everyone will be paying more to fund out-of-control spending. The small tax rebate is temporary, but the tax hikes are permanent.
Not only did state Democrats pile on tax increases at a time of economic uncertainty but they caused doubt over general safety as well. Democrats promised voters they would get serious about public safety, but when push came to shove, they were more focused on the rights of criminals than the rights of victims. From felon voting to making 92% of the prison population — more than 7,000 criminals — eligible for early release and reduced jail time, Democrats are taking chances with public safety as they push through soft-on-crime policies that will do nothing to prevent criminal activity at a time violent crime remains abnormally high in our state.
All of this was done in one of the most partisan sessions ever. We saw dozens of strong, bipartisan positions get stripped out of this year’s major bills, many times with no discussion, in the dark of night and to the shock of the Republican authors. Legislation is stronger when it is built with support from both parties and includes the feedback of people from across the state, but that’s not the way Democrats operated this session.
Minnesota has turned into a Democrat pilot project for just how far unchecked power can push the envelope. Democrats here in state and nationally are describing this session as “transformative,” and it certainly has been. The changes wrought by radical, one-party rule will make Minnesota a less affordable place to live, work, and raise a family. That’s not the transformation voters asked for and, frankly, it’s not even what most Democrats can support.
It’s up to Minnesota voters to hold Democrats accountable for their broken promises and extremist approach.
Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, is the minority leader of the Minnesota House.
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