Daudt: Those in favor of gas tax increase need to be 'checked into an institution'

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - Minnesota House Republicans announced the election of Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) as the House Republican leader Friday morning and Daudt wasted no time making his feelings known about recent comments by Gov.-elect Tim Walz.

Daudt predicted that Minnesota will have a surplus of up to $2 billion in the next two-year budget. Then, he addressed Walz’s proposal from Thursday to raise the gas tax in his first budget as Governor.

“Anybody whose first reaction is to raise taxes when we have a $2 billion surplus needs to get themselves checked into an institution,” Daudt said to Fox 9.

Daudt served as the House leader for the last two years when Republicans were in the majority. Now usurped by Democratic challengers, however, Daudt will be the minority leader this term.

When asked why Republicans lost the House in Minnesota, Daudt said, “I don’t think voters were sending us a message.”

Instead, he said voters were sending a message to Washington, D.C. and that many Republican members felt the election was “beyond their control.”