Sturgeon Lake – A Republican congressman from northeastern Minnesota has slammed Gov. Tim Walz’s economic policies, calling his economic and coronavirus response measures “devastating” for most Minnesotans.
“I’ve talked to a lot of companies, and they’ve either left Minnesota, or if they’re expanding, they’re not expanding in Minnesota,” Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican who represents Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. “That means hundreds of millions of dollars of private investment are leaving Minnesota under Governor Walz’s leadership.”
“He supported the highest income tax rate in the country at 10 percent, ran a $19 billion surplus, and the next year added $10 billion in taxes on hard-working Minnesotans. Government spending has increased by almost 50 percent. There has been almost no private sector growth. I believe neighboring states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin have seen private sector job growth three to four times greater than Walz.”
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation’s 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index, released in October 2023, ranked Minnesota as the 44th best tax climate in the nation for businesses.
Video shows Walz praising controversial Muslim cleric; Harris campaign says “not involved”
Republican Rep. Pete Stauber has warned about the economic policies of his fellow Minnesota Sen. Tim Walz. (Getty Images)
A January analysis by the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that Minnesota has the most progressive tax code of all 50 states, and is more progressive only in the District of Columbia.
“I talked to Kristy Noem of South Dakota and she said one of the best things that’s happened to South Dakota is Walz becoming governor of Minnesota. They’re just leaving our state,” Stauber told Fox News Digital.
Veterans call Waltz’s military record ‘disgraceful’
Rep. Pete Stauber speaks during the “Back the Blue” bicycle tour at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington. (Caroline Breman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Minnesota Business Retention and Growth Landscape 2023 “While overall activity in Minnesota has increased since 2021, the state consistently ranks near the bottom among Midwestern states for new and expansion projects. Minnesota ranks 10th out of 12 states in the region for total projects from 2018-2022 and 10th for projects per capita in 2022,” the report states.
“Data from fDi Markets shows that Minnesota-based companies are expanding into other states at a higher rate than other-state-based companies are expanding in Minnesota,” the report states. “Since 2020, Minnesota has had a net investment deficit of 54 projects, 2,500 jobs and $6.6 billion in capital spending.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks at a campaign event in Detroit on August 7, 2024. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
But the report adds that “Minnesota’s business and financial sectors have expanded at a relatively fast pace over the past decade.”
“Minnesota is known as a home to corporate headquarters and industry-leading companies. This professional and technical talent pool extends beyond corporate headquarters, making Minnesota a favored location for companies in the financial and professional and technical services sectors.”
“After Donald Trump devastated our economy, Governor Walz built Minnesota back on track with strong leadership, competent stewardship and smart policies like lowering taxes for working families and achieving the lowest state unemployment rate in history,” Harris-Waltz campaign spokesman Charles Luttwak said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“That’s why CNBC ranked Minnesota the most business-friendly state in the country outside the South. Every day leading up to November 5, Trump will have to defend his shaky record and unpopular anti-growth policies against the Harris-Waltz campaign’s record and vision for promoting business growth, creating jobs and lowering costs for Americans.”
Earlier this year, CNBC Rankings Minnesota is ranked as the sixth best state for business, though some Minnesotans who spoke to Fox News Digital seemed to disagree.
“We joke that we’re a mini-California,” Matthew A., a Minnesota resident whose family grows corn and soybeans, recently told Fox News Digital.
“Most of us would like to annex South Dakota if we could. He has put in place policies that hurt small businesses. I have friends who have lost small businesses because of his policies. It’s destroying our small towns, our rural development.”
Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz gesture during a campaign rally at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on August 10, 2024. (Rhonda Churchill/AFP via Getty Images)
of Discovered by the Cato Institute According to IRS migration data this year, “the state saw a decline of nearly 10 households earning more than $200,000 for every six households it saw an increase in, the fifth-worst rate among states.”
At the same time, Minnesota is a tax foundation Corporate Tax Environment IndexThis creates a strong incentive for companies to invest in other states. To stem the outflow of skilled labor and capital, Minnesota needs to adopt a leaner government and lower personal and corporate taxes.
Stauber told Fox News Digital that Walz is leading a “socialist movement in Minnesota” and that voters should expect him to do “the same thing at the national level” as running mate Kamala Harris.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“You saw her as a senator from California, and Tim Walz as governor of Minnesota, sign numerous destructive policies and bills that did not benefit the vast majority of Minnesotans.”
Kevin Hassett, former chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers He told FOX Business Last week, he criticized Walz for his “disturbing” approach to economic policy and for being “a total tax-and-spend liberal.”
Fox News Digital’s Aubrey Spady contributed to this report.
