(ST. PAUL, MINN) – While other leaders were in attendance with Governor Tim Walz this morning, one local lawmaker – the Senate Minority Leader, East Grand Forks Republican Senator Mark Johnson – was not present.
“The reality is we are the only minority party here at the state capitol right now,” Johnson said, referring to the fact that there are 33 Republicans and 33 Democrats that make up the State House of Representatives currently.
Johnson said there are many good parts to the budget deal, but the House Republicans were not asked to sign off on the deal. He says there are things that ‘are fiscally responsible that many Minnesotans can get behind.’
He cautioned that the process is not done yet.
“That’s not that I disagree with the compromise completely, but remember this also goes into conference committees, where we’ll be able to do other work on bipartisan priorities for Minnesotans across the state,” Johnson said.
He said legislators will be working to close the session soon, saying they don’t believe closing down the government is the right thing to do.
“I think that we have to work in a very bipartisan manner,” he said.
Johnson said three weeks were spent working on the compromise announced Thursday.
“It was done in a very reasonable manner, that I thought did justice to a lot of Minnesotans and the issues Minnesotans are facing,” he said.
The deal cut the structural budget deficit nearly in half, Johnson said, and works on the budgetary balance.
“Although we’re not completely balanced in the out years, we get much, much close, which is very nice to see,” he said.
The deal also addresses the cost drivers – through things such as Human Services, Education and others. Although not in a dramatic way, it was done in a reasonable way.
“It was making it so Minnesotans won’t feel huge impacts in the negative here and in the years going forward,” Johnson said.
He says he’s confident the bill will get completed.
