Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman David Hann called out Governor Walz and the Democrats this week for their “continued political gimmicks regarding taxes on Minnesotans amidst rising energy prices and a historic state budget surplus.”
As The Minnesota Sun reported, Governor Walz joined five other Democratic governors urging the U.S. Congress to suspend the federal gas tax amid soaring prices at the pump caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and President Joe Biden’s ban on importing Russian oil.
According to a press release by the Republican Party of Minnesota, Governor Walz’s call for pausing the federal gas tax “follows his and legislative Democrats’ attempts to raise the gas tax on Minnesotans twice, in 2019 and 2021.”
Governor Walz has attempted to raise Minnesota’s gas tax in the past. He once sought a 20-cent per gallon increase over two years. Last year, House Democrats pursued a 5-cent gas tax hike. Minnesota has a 28.5-cent per gallon state tax, among the highest in America.
“Democrats in the Minnesota Legislature also pushed a gimmicky gas tax holiday after they and Walz tried to raise the gas tax by more than 25 cents per gallon since he first took office. Meanwhile, legislative Democrats are threatening businesses with a massive tax hike at a time when Minnesota has a $9.3 billion surplus,” the press release continues.
“Gov. Walz’s call for pausing the federal gas tax is a laughable political stunt,” Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman David Hann said in a statement. “He must think that pausing the federal gas tax and raising Minnesota’s gas tax makes sense! The Governor and DFL legislators have always supported increasing, not reducing or pausing the gas tax in Minnesota. Together they’ve proposed raising the gas tax on Minnesotans by 25 cents a gallon over the past few years. Now, they are suddenly concerned about rising prices – due to the shortages created by their policies to shut down oil production and distribution. The hypocrisy is stunning. Meanwhile, House DFLers are holding workers and businesses hostage with a potential massive tax increase on unemployment insurance – while hanging on to an historic surplus of more than $9 billion. It’s time for Gov. Walz and the Democrats in the legislature to act and provide real, meaningful relief that Minnesota’s workers and businesses need.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and The Star News Network.
Photo “David Hann” by MNGOP.
