Minnesota senators said that spending needs to be tightened despite the current surplus. | Stock Photo
Minnesota senators said that spending needs to be tightened despite the current surplus. | Stock Photo
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) and Senate Finance Chair Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont) recently released statements on the state’s budget forecast which shows a current surplus of $641 million and a projected deficit of $1.2 billion coming in 2022-2023, according to the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus.
Gazelka said that a surprise surplus should mean no new taxes to be imposed on residents, but that care needs to be taken to mitigate later deficits.
“Point is right now we have a surplus and don’t need to raise taxes period. We don't need to do that and we do need to tighten our belt because as we move forward, we’ll move into deficit if we don’t take care of spending now,” Gazelka said in a video posted on Facebook dated Dec. 1.
Rosen said that an unexpected surplus doesn’t mean that the budget is sustainable.
“Even though we had news of a $641 million budget surplus today, we still have a serious problem in our budget in the out years," Rosen said in a video posted on Facebook dated Dec. 1.
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