District 22 Sen. Bill Weber released a statement Wednesday following Tuesday’s release of the November budget forecast showing a record-setting $7.7 billion projected surplus for the 2022-2023 biennium.
Said Weber, a Republican from Luverne: "The message today is clear, Minnesota's government is taking far too much money from its taxpayers. Minnesotans do not have record amounts of dollars in their bank accounts, and with unprecedented inflation, life and meeting daily expenses have only gotten harder.
As Walz's administration heralds this surplus, we must recognize the disconnect between our government and our residents. Instead of continuing to bloat government spending, it is time for us to work with families and small businesses to provide relief and ensure that they have the resources necessary to succeed."
District 22B Rep. Joe Schomacker, also a Luverne Republican, issued his own statement on Wednesday.
Said Schomacker: “Just like with our household budgets, having more money than expenses works better. But just like in our home budgets, that doesn't mean we should just spend more because it's there. As legislative leadership looks to allocate this surplus, we need to be mindful that many Minnesotans continue to struggle due to higher costs on gasoline, energy, food and nearly everything else on the market. We have to look down the road on the budget as well." According to the Minnesota Management and Budget Office, strong growth in income, consumer spending, higher tax receipts and slightly lowered state spending helped contribute to the surplus projection. Schomacker said the improved budget forecast triggers a statutory allocation to the budget reserve, putting the reserve balance at $2.656 billion.
