Q&A: Rep. Garofalo Discusses Upcoming Legislative Session

The Minnesota State Legislature reconvenes Jan. 24.

To prepare for the upcoming session, Patch gave Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-District 36B) a call to discuss the state’s $876 million budget surplus, the construction of a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings and expectation for the coming months.

Patch: How do you think the surplus should be used?

Garofalo: It’s no secret that the Republicans didn’t like the education shifts and we didn’t want to do it and now that the money’s there, this gives us the opportunity to pay it back. I would say filling up the budget reserves and paying back the shifts, and absolutely not using it to grow or expand government.

Patch: For you, what are the biggest items on the agenda for this upcoming session, aside from the surplus?

Garofalo: Really, I think 90 percent of the session’s going to be over how we handle the budget surplus.

Patch: What are the risks of having a surplus?

Garofalo: Whenever you have a conversation that’s about money, it makes it difficult to have a conversation about how you could do things differently. So, let’s stop talking about how much money we’re putting in the government. Instead, let’s talk about what we’re getting out of our government. How can we redesign it to have it be more efficient? That would be the downside to a surplus, is that those in government would immediately look to spending more money as opposed to changing how they’re doing things.

Patch: What is your stance on the Vikings stadium?

Garofalo: Obviously, we want the Vikings to stay in Minnesota, but we also want to get the best value for the taxpayer. We don’t want to give away the store to keep the Vikings here.

Patch: Ideally, how would you like to see the stadium funded?

Garofalo: I think as much as possible, the people who use the facility should pay for it. So, you know, like ticket tax, parking surcharges capturing the additional revenue a new stadium would build. I think those are the kind of revenues I think would be ideal for financing the stadium. The people who use the stadium pay for it. The people who don’t use the stadium, they don’t have any extra costs.