Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders are meeting behind closed doors, trying to agree on overall numbers for the state budget on their self-imposed deadline day. Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says about the governor’s proposed gas tax increase: “The gas tax is not gonna happen…. We’ve made it very clear that that’s not where we need to be.”
Governor Walz responds, “‘No’ is not a plan…. Minnesotans are very clear that they want to have safe roads, bridges, transit to make a difference. They want us to think about and plan for the future.” Walz says he’s willing to work with Republicans but there must be sufficient resources for Minnesota’s transportation needs.