Senate DFL Leader Melisa López Franzen (DFL-Edina) expressed deep frustration with the lack of agreement and unwillingness to compromise in the closing hours of the legislative session that prevented enactment of promised tax cuts, and funding for top priorities like schools, nursing homes, public safety, and a job-creating bonding bill, and urged lawmakers to finish the job.
She criticized the Senate Republican majority for putting up roadblocks and delays in the final days and hours before the Legislature needed to finish its work by midnight Sunday. Those delays prevented work to enact each part of an agreement reached by the Governor and House and Senate leaders last week, she said.
“Minnesotans want their leaders to lead, and they want us to get our work done,” said Sen. López Franzen. “It’s unacceptable that in the Senate, the Republican majority repeatedly refused to move with the urgency we need to finish all of our work and to keep our promises to Minnesotans. We had an agreement to deliver for the people across the state, but the refusal to compromise derailed important things like tax cuts, funding for schools, long-term care and seniors, public safety investments and a job-creating bonding bill. Under the agreement, we couldn’t do one without doing them all. Unfortunately, in the Senate, the majority failed to lead. Minnesotans don’t want us to simply go home without finishing the job, and we need leadership to that.”