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Dear Friends,
It was a big week in St. Paul as I dropped my first major bipartisan bill to provide funding for the Trunk Hwy 36 Interchange with Lake Elmo Ave. This project will make this important road safer for our community. Click my photo on the right to learn more.
Last night the House passed what Republicans call the Blackout Bill because it will make energy unaffordable, unreliable, and dangerous in Minnesota. If this bill is signed into law, it will raise energy bills for every household by $1,600. I voted no for this bill because I do not believe that we should raise prices for Minnesotans when they are already facing record energy costs.
Governor Walz released his budget proposal this week, which he is required to present by state law. Remember: Minnesota has a $17.6 billion surplus. Instead of spending more to grow government, we need to be returning these funds to taxpayers. Here are some of the highlights from his budget:
- Raising the price of motor vehicle tabs, totally $92.4 million in FY2024 and $193.6 million in FY2025 alone.
- Ending the tax on social security received bipartisan support on the campaign trail. Now, the Governor only wants to exempt the social security tax for 43% of Minnesotans, saving them on average $278 per household.
- The budget totals $65.2 billion – a 25% increase in spending. $13 billion is new permanent spending.
- Only $300 million is provided for public safety. As a comparison, the Democrats want to spend HALF A BILLION DOLLARS to renovate the State Office Building.
This budget doesn’t go far enough in providing permanent, meaningful tax relief. Instead, it is too focused on spending the surplus to grow our government bureaucracy. I hope the legislature can work together return more of the surplus to our families, and make sure our government is transparent and effective.
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Please Contact Me
Please continue to reach out if I can be of any assistance to you. You can reach me by phone at 651-296-4244 or by email at rep.mark.wiens@house.mn.gov.
Have a great weekend!
Mark
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353 State Office Building 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Saint Paul, MN 55155 ph: 651.296.4244 |
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