The top Republican lawmaker on the Minnesota legislature’s tax committee is criticizing Gov. Tim Walz for his “bad” and “lazy” tax policy regarding the state’s excise tax on gasoline, which the lawmaker said hurts low-income citizens in the state the most.

“There’s generally pretty strong resistance to putting anything on the inflators, because it’s — I call it a ‘lazy man’s tax increase’ — because then what you do is you never have to go back to the legislature to justify another tax increase,” he said . Rep. Greg Davids is the top Republican guiding tax policy in the state. “A rich person, they say, what happens if (the excise tax) is inflated and goes up 10 cents per gallon? But for the person in the district that I represent who travels 35 miles to work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester or different jobs in Rochester work, that’s a lot of money and now it’s increasing every year no matter what.”

Davids sat on the state Legislature’s tax committee for nine terms, three as president and four as Republican leader, and argued Friday that the state’s decision to tie the gas tax to an index was “very poor tax policy.” nature and how it “harms the poorest of the poor” the most.

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“I’m trying to stay away from regressive taxes. I’m trying to stay away from inflators,” Davids said. “Because if your case is good enough, you get a raise. But to put forward something where the public is not represented is bad tax policy in my estimation.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, along with DFL legislative leaders and commissioners, held a ceremonial budget bill signing party on the steps of the State Capitol in 2023. Walz stood before hundreds of supporters to boast about accomplishments on the nearly $72 billion budget, made possible by Democrats (DFL) securing control of the state Legislature and governor’s office. (Photo: Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via Getty Images)

Walz’s first budget proposal as governor in 2019, Increase the state’s gas tax by 70%, That would make the state one of the highest gasoline excise taxes in the country, behind California, Pennsylvania, Washington and Illinois. The proposal was passed by the Democrat-controlled House but stalled when introduced to the Senate.

Then, in the election year of 2022, Walz called on the federal government Suspending the federal excise tax on gasoline. Minnesota Republican Party Chairman David Hann called the move a “ridiculous political stunt” at the time, considering Walz and his Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) colleagues “always supported” increasing the gas tax.

Currently, Minnesota’s gas tax ranking is on the lower end of the spectrum, but that will change after next year’s index increase. Such an increase would move Minnesota up 11 spots on the list, putting it at 21st-highest in the country.

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According to AAA, Minnesota’s current average cost of gasoline stands at $3.06; This figure represents a decrease from $3.43 a year ago. This photo shows a gas pump. (Getty Images)

Under the Walz administration, the state of Minnesota has seen tax cuts for the middle class, such as increasing the child tax credit and reducing the child tax credit. Social Security tax rate. But Davids questioned what Walz and DFL members were doing to squander a record budget surplus of nearly $18 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, the state of Minnesota is expected to see a budget shortfall of about $1.5 billion by 2026, Davids said.

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Other measures under Walz included: increase taxes such as a new “surtax” on long-term investment income for corporations and the wealthy.

Tax Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan tax policy in the nation’s capital. He called Walz a “contradictor” How Harris compares to her other potential running mates when it comes to her tax policy Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro And Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

Governors Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Andy Beshear of Kentucky. All three are long-time Democrats.

“Governors bring governing experience. They also bring policy records that are more concrete than those of legislators, meaning a governor’s signature or veto enacts (or blocks) legislation in the way a vote in Congress rarely does,” the foundation wrote. In a report released a few weeks ago that outlined Walz’s tax policy as governor of Minnesota. “Observers will undoubtedly examine Walz’s record as governor to get a sense of what policies he might support at the federal level and what that might say about the Harris-Walz ticket.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s press office and the Harris-Walz campaign for comment but did not receive a recorded response.