Budget Deal Nixes Gas Tax Increase, Continues High Tax and Spend Status Quo

May 21, 2019 by AFP

Grassroots group commends budget deal for rejecting a gas tax increase, critiques spending and health care tax increases

ST. PAUL, MN – Americans for Prosperity-Minnesota (AFP-MN) today issued the following the statement regarding the budget deal.

“Abandoning the gas tax increase is great news for Minnesota families and workers, especially the most vulnerable who would have been the hardest hit from the tax increase. There are better ways to fund and maintain our roads and bridges rather than forcing Minnesotans to dig deeper into their pockets at the gas pump,” said Jason Flohrs, AFP-MN State Director. “Despite rejecting the gas tax, this budget deal continues the misguided status quo of unsustainable spending paid for by tax increases on health care.”

“While we support the creation of a task force to find savings within state health care spending, the Legislature could have made that part of the budget more transparent by eliminating the off-book health care access “slush” fund,” Flohrs continued. “AFP-MN will continue our efforts to put in place a more transparent fiscally responsible budget that increases opportunity and decreases health care costs for all Minnesotans.”

Background:

AFP-MN believes raising the gas tax is an ineffective way of addressing our state’s transportation needs and does nothing to resolve the underlying issues cemented in our state’s infrastructure process. A recent report from AFP shows Minnesotans would face a $300 tax hike just from a federal, 25-cent gas tax hike.

Over the course of the legislative session, AFP-MN has been at the forefront of protecting Minnesotans from harmful tax increases. The grassroots group has issued mail, run digital ads, and called and texted Minnesotans encouraging them to tell their lawmaker to oppose reinstating the gas tax and provider tax.

Governor Walz’s High Tax Budget Continues Fiscal Mismanagement, 2/19/19

AFP-MN to House HHS: $750 Million Provider Tax Makes Health Care More Costly, 4/2/19

AFP-MN to Legislators: Reject $1 Billion Tax and Fee Increases, 4/3/19

Transportation Omnibus Bill Punishes Minnesotans with Higher Taxes on Gas, Everyday Items, 4/28/19