Does state budget spell the end of Minnesota's honeymoon?
DFL Gov. Tim Walz released his two year budget on Tuesday. The nearly $50 billion plan highlights his priorities: raising the gas tax, cutting taxes for low-income Minnesotans and spending more money for health care, schools and roads.
Republicans say they are concerned about raising the gas tax:
On a $1.27b bonding bill this year, "that's not going to happen," Sen. Gazelka said
— Briana Bierschbach (@bbierschbach) February 19, 2019
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And they say that the governor is trying to fund too many priorities:
The budget proposal from @GovTimWalz makes for One "Expensive" Minnesota. Child care and health care just became more expensive and the cost of filling up gas just doubled. This is what you get when you say yes to everything #mnleg #mnsenate pic.twitter.com/EhdBvK6ZID
— Paul Gazelka (@paulgazelka) February 19, 2019
MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with two guests about the new budget proposal. House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, will discuss their reaction to the budget, its likely reception and whether this is an early indication of friction between Walz and Republican leadership.
To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.