Governor Dayton Continues to Put Middle Class Families First

In response to Governor Mark Dayton’s revised budget proposal, Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson issued the following statement:

“In his revised budget proposal, Governor Dayton once again demonstrated his commitment to middle class priorities by investing in schools, job creation, and infrastructure, while ensuring the state stays on sound financial ground.

Governor Dayton recognizes that Minnesota’s tax system is unfair for middle class families, so he is paying for these critical investments by closing the tax loopholes that big corporations have been abusing and asking the richest Minnesotans to pay their fair share in taxes.

As with the Governor’s first budget proposal, we expect there will be double speak from corporate special interests and some lawmakers. It’s time for those who cheer investments in education and infrastructure and oppose the taxes needed to pay for them to stop talking from both sides of your mouth.

The simple fact is that Minnesota has never been able to cut its way to prosperity. We rode the budget roller coaster for a decade and it brought us multiple deficits and two government shutdowns.

Minnesotans deserve a state budget that will allow us all to build a better Minnesota. We are confident that Governor Dayton and the Legislature will get it done.”