Republicans in the Minnesota Senate unveiled a comprehensive plan on Monday that would eliminate $600 million of “wasteful or unnecessary spending” and ensure that taxpayer money is prioritized for the needs of Minnesotans.
“Governor Walz has proposed painful cuts to disability care and special education to balance the budget, but we are taking a different approach to put Minnesotans first,” said Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks. “We’ve identified hundreds of millions of dollars being poured into projects and programs that don’t serve the best interests of Minnesotans.”
At present, Minnesota has a projected budget surplus of $456 million in the upcoming two-year budget period that runs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027. However, the state faces a $6 billion budget deficit in the two years after that. As such, legislators will need to find a way to rectify the looming budget shortfall with either spending cuts or tax increases.
Earlier this year, Gov. Tim Walz released his recommendations for the upcoming two-year budget cycle (FY 2026-27) which runs from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2027.
In his recommendations, the governor proposed that the state enact a two-year budget that spends $66 billion. Walz’s budget would increase the number of taxable services in Minnesota, make several budget cuts, and cut the sales tax by 0.075%. The governor claimed his proposal would leave Minnesota with a $2.1 billion surplus in FY 2026-27 and $355 million in FY 2028-29.
According to the plan unveiled by Minority Leader Johnson and his fellow Republicans, cutting state railway projects, canceling services for illegal aliens, and instituting various government reforms would save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
Specifically, those cost-saving measures would include cutting $194.5 million in funding for the planned Northern Lights Express, a proposed high speed rail line from the Twin Cities to Duluth. Other transportation cuts would include canceling the existing NorthStar Commuter Rail service line and ending the planned Blue Line Extension; amounting to over $50 million in savings.
“Projects like Northstar and Southwest Light Rail have proven to be expensive failures, and we run the same risks with new train projects like Northern Lights Express,” said Sen. John Jasinski, R-Faribault.
Additionally, the GOP plan would cut over $220 million that was appropriated when illegal aliens were given access to MinnesotaCare, a state-operated healthcare program, and the North Star Promise, a government-funded college scholarship program. That, coupled with a proposal to keep illegal aliens from receiving tax credits set aside for legal non-citizens, would save hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the GOP.
“Every dollar spent on benefits for those here illegally is a dollar taken away from schools, health care, and other critical services for Minnesota families,” said Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls. “We should not incentivize individuals who actively break our immigration laws to come to Minnesota to get taxpayer-funded benefits. It is time to ensure our taxpayer dollars go to Minnesotans first.”
Finally, the Republican proposal would implement zero-based budgeting, keep grants from going to nonprofits with employees that “receive excessive compensation,” require greater financial disclosure from legislators, mandate a report on state office space use, and sunset various state working groups and commissions.
“Our government should be transparent, accountable, and efficient,” Sen. Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake, said in a statement. “These bills put Minnesotans first by ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, conflicts of interest are eliminated, and wasteful spending is stopped. Minnesotans deserve a government that works for them—not for special interests or personal gain.”
Alpha News asked the Senate DFL for their statement on the GOP plan but did not receive a response.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
