Attorney at Law Magazine Minnesota invited Minnesota’s legislator leaders to share their priorities, outlook and perspectives on the session 2023 on the eve it opens.
MN Senate Majority leader
In November, Minnesota voters sent a clear signal when they reelected Governor Walz, who is a DFL-House of Representatives member, and elected a new Senate DFL majority. Minnesota will now have a DFL triofecta for the first time since 2013.
As the Senate Majority Leader, it is clear that my colleagues take their leadership roles very seriously. We are eager to get to work on the issues that were raised in Minnesota.
We heard from voters that they are fed up with gridlock, inaction, and lack of transparency. The DFL Senate is looking forward to engaging with Minnesotans during the next legislative session. This will give citizens a seat at table and show them that we are a Senate that does the job.
Our work will not begin on January 3, when the legislature meets. Since many months, we have been meeting with Minnesotans in their communities. We listened to their concerns about education, climate and healthcare, and are now ready to take action. We have the opportunity to make transformative, meaningful improvements with the latest budget forecast. We will be working on a state budget to support family budgets.
We are aware that many families who work face rising costs and want to help them make ends meet. This means that we will take action to reduce their costs in areas such as housing, childcare, and energy.
We also heard from Minnesotans that they are concerned about politicians who promised to restrict or take away their rights. Voters rejected any attempt to limit or remove rights and elected a DFL majority which will defend, enshrine and protect Minnesotans’ rights and freedoms. We will protect their rights to vote, their healthcare decisions, their right of joining a labor union, and their dignity.
Last year, Republicans left the legislative session without having completed their work despite a bi-partisan agreement. Our colleagues are invited to join us in this effort, but compromise is required and we must be committed to seeing it through. We are ready to take on the work and will not let it go.
Although there is much to be done in the coming legislative session, Minnesota’s favorable budget situation offers a unique opportunity. While there will be some things that we can do quickly, creating a responsible and thoughtful budget will take time. We will make the most of that time.
Minnesotans voted in 2022 for change. We look forward to 2023 and the Senate DFL majority is ready for action. We are ready to take the lead. We will make it our priority to defend the Minnesota values that we all share. We plan to achieve results.
Her colleagues elected Senator Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis, as the MN Senate Majority leader in Nov. 2022. In 2012, she was elected in a special election to the State Senate. She has been reelected four more times. She is currently the representative of Senate District 60. She has worked in the private sector as well as in Hennepin County, Minneapolis and as a U.S. Senate staffer.
From MN Senate Minority leader
I’m the Senate Republican Caucus leader and look forward to the next session. It will be a great opportunity to work to improve the lives of Minnesotans. Although there is much talk about the DFL “trifecta”, I believe that the Senate’s one-vote majority will have to work with Republicans if it wants to help Minnesotans. This session will require compromise, bipartisanship, and a decision on how to spend the surplus.
Minnesota’s constitution requires that the budget be balanced. This should prevent some of the most harmful spending ideas from being put forward this year. The $17.6 trillion surplus should be used only once and not for new spending programs. The surplus is due to an overpayment by taxpayers. We should give the money back as soon as possible. Every senior in the state should make eliminating the Social Security tax a priority. This promise was made by many Senate Democrats, and we will hold them responsible. Inflation is still a major issue for grocery and energy bills. We should explore all options to ensure that people can afford their lives in a high-tax country like California.
Also, we need to be careful about spending. According to the current budget forecast, $59 billion is available for spending. The budget forecast for 2012 was $29 billion. This is more than double what we have in 10 years. The Capitol insiders sigh relief that there isn’t a deficit. But the taxpayers wait impatiently for some relief. The Senate was under our control when we passed the largest income tax reduction in 20 years. However, the surplus grew. There are many ways to reduce spending and permanently reduce taxes without creating a deficit.
Everybody deserves to feel safe and secure in their community, regardless of where they live, work, or visit. Many Democrats ran on public safety. Bipartisan support was provided by both Democrats and Republicans to support law enforcement careers and the men and women who keep our country safe every day. These ideas are still valid and we will continue to pursue bipartisan solutions for public safety.
Due to state delays and high taxes, too many businesses are being encouraged to relocate to neighboring states. Instead of making it difficult for new businesses to get started, we should welcome innovation. If people don’t have jobs to keep them in Minnesota, even if they are attending the best schools in America, or taking advantage of expensive paid leave programs and green energy, it won’t matter much.
As legislators, the most important thing that we can do is to set up the next generation of success. We will ensure that parents and accountability are included in the education funding process, despite all the talk about “fully financing” education. Republicans have increased student funding in record amounts over the past two budget cycles, but students’ test scores continue to drop. We will support and promote ideas that prioritize student learning and academic achievement, and ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed in school.
Our caucus has 33 members and we have ideas for helping seniors, students, and families to continue to thrive in Minnesota. The Senate Democrat Majority’s agenda is a bit tinkering and they made huge promises to voters. We will hold them responsible and ensure that everyone in the state can afford to live comfortably, feel safe and succeed.
Skyler Johnson, Mark Johnson’s wife, and their three children live in East Grand Forks. Johnson is a partner at Johnson Concrete Construction, a third-generation family company, and a partner with a small law office. In 2016, he was the first senator to be elected. He was Deputy Majority Leader from 2021 to 2023, and was then elected to be Minority Leader from 2023.
MN House Majority leader
Minnesotans gave DFLers full control over state government in the 2022 election. This was the first time this has happened in almost a decade. We have the chance to make a difference in the lives and livelihoods of Minnesotans with this historic trio of surpluses of $17.6 million and $17.6 billion projected.
DFLers focus on issues that Minnesotans care about. This includes investing in public education and making health care more accessible. They also want to create an economy that is better for all. In the election, we heard that Minnesotans want to preserve reproductive freedom, combat climate change, end gun violence, and strengthen democracy.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade is extreme and reckless. Minnesotans support bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. House DFLers will quickly pass legislation to ensure that reproductive freedom is protected early in the legislative session. We will make sure Minnesotans have the legal right to make their own health care decisions.
DFLers support significant funding increases for public schools. This includes addressing special education cross subsidy, free school meal for all, and investments in the general financing formula. Minnesota was once a leader in education funding. However, we haven’t kept pace with inflation since 2003. To ensure that our students thrive, substantial investments are necessary.
The Legislature must prioritize the needs of workers and their families if we are to continue growing our economy and offer economic opportunity to all. Many Minnesotans live paycheck to paycheck and worry about their future. We will keep our efforts going to lower costs and improve economic security. This includes paid family leave, affordable childcare, secure and stable housing that people can afford, as well as infrastructure investments.
A better economy must make it more affordable to provide health care. DFLers will continue to work with MinnesotaCare Buy In to create a public option and lower prescription drug costs.
DFLers have committed themselves to solving the climate crisis, which is the biggest threat to our future. All of us have a responsibility for helping to solve the climate crisis. We can and must also do more to increase our clean energy economy. We are ready to take bold actions, including putting our state on the path to 100% clean electricity by 2040.
Minnesotans deserve safety at school, work, and at home. DFLers are committed to keeping people safe with commonsense measures such as criminal background checks and red-flag laws to prevent guns from being taken away from people who shouldn’t have them. We can reduce gun violence such as suicide, homicide, and homicide. These measures have been adopted in other states and made a significant impact.
Minnesotans voiced their frustration with extremism and insurrectionists during the election. Democracy is most effective when everyone has an opportunity to take part and be heard. The House DFLers will strengthen democracy and uphold Minnesota’s reputation for trusted elections that have high participation rates.
DFLers are deeply concerned about Minnesota’s challenges. Minnesotans care deeply about their neighbors and families. They want everyone to be able to succeed. We are willing to work hard, collaborate, and move quickly to help them and build a better state for all.
Melissa Hortman, the DFL Speaker of Minnesota’s House of Representatives, represents a portion of the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis and has been doing so since 2005. She has been a legislator focusing on energy, transportation and civil law. From 2013-14, Rep. Hortman was the Chair of the House Energy Committee and co-authored legislation to create Minnesota’s solar energy standard.
MN House Minority leader
A new legislative session brings with it the feeling of possibility. I hope that lawmakers will keep their eyes on Minnesotans’ priorities as they meet in St. Paul this year for another busy year.
My goal as the House Republican Caucus leader is to work collaboratively with the new majority in the Senate and House. We won’t agree on everything. I’m sure there will be strong disagreements over the bills being presented. While we will have sharp differences with the DFL majorities in Minnesota, that doesn’t mean we won’t work together when it is sensible and in the best interests of Minnesotans. Republicans are willing to share their ideas, offer concrete solutions and try our best to get the voices of our constituents into Saint Paul for the discussion and debate.
All lawmakers are concerned about how to approach the $17 billion state budget surplus. We need to be clear: Minnesotans are being overtaxed by a $17billion budget surplus. State government has never been more cash-rich in history. The House Republicans believe that the money is yours and all taxpayers in Minnesota. They should return it to their rightful place, which is your pocketbooks. It’s the right thing to take, as families continue to face high inflation.
We can also eliminate the tax on seniors’ social security benefits once and for all. This is an issue Republicans and Democrats campaigned on in the last election. It can be a bipartisan win Minnesotans can rejoice about. The House Republicans will hold Democrats accountable and ensure that we deliver the social safety relief promised to Minnesota seniors.
We have the chance to work together in other areas of bipartisan cooperation thanks to our record budget surplus. Both parties campaigned for strengthening public safety this fall — let’s make use of the large budget surplus to invest locally in law enforcement and give police the resources they need.
To alleviate the crisis facing many police departments across the state, we should invest in retention and recruitment programs. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension should be equipped with tools that will allow us to take down repeat carjackers, fentanyl dealers and other criminals responsible for our high crime rates. Let’s build upon the success of community policing programs like the COP House Saint Cloud, which has brought together law enforcement and the community while reducing crime in the area.
We must also do more in this session to combat fraud in government programs. Feeding our Future fraud exposed yet again the inability of state agencies protect and respect Minnesotans’ tax dollars. If we all work together to improve program integrity and hold those responsible for defrauding Minnesota taxpayers, there could be many millions, if not even billions more.
The DFL should not mistake the last election as a blank check to fund every progressive wish-list item. The Senate and House have narrow majorities that should be seen as an opportunity to work with bipartisanship — the House Republicans are prepared for the important work ahead and will fight for our constituents’ ideas and priorities.
Rep. Lisa Demuth is the House Minority Leader. She represents District 13A. She is currently serving her third term in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
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