ST. PAUL – On the heels of yet another positive state budget forecast while Minnesotans continue to struggle with rising inflation costs, State Representative Tony Jurgens (RCottage Grove) is calling on Governor Walz, Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman, and Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller to agree on the parameters of a special session that would focus on immediate tax relief.

“The State of Minnesota continues to collect far more than it needs from its taxpayers, while those same taxpayers are struggling to pay higher costs on groceries, gasoline, electricity, and most everything else,” Jurgens said. “State government is fully funded, so we should be putting this excess revenue back in the hands of hardworking Minnesotans, and that’s something could be accomplished in a limited special session that focuses on tax relief.”

Recently, state economists unveiled an August revenue report that showed tax collections for the month were $69 million above forecast. Revenue for July was $64 million above forecast.

In February, Minnesota’s economic experts projected that our state would see a $9.25 billion budget surplus for the next twoyear budget cycle. Added to the other collections, General Fund Tax Revenue since the February forecast is now $3.06 billion above forecast.