Mike Lindell releases budget blueprint for the state of Minnesota
By Easton Martin | August 6, 2026
Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Lindell and running mate Phillip C. Parrish have unveiled “The Lindell-Parrish Minnesota Budget Blueprint,” a proposal aimed at phasing out Minnesota’s state income tax to make it the tenth state without one.
The campaign states the plan targets a $3.3 billion structural deficit under Governor Tim Walz while maintaining core government services. Lindell argued that Minnesota’s financial issues stem from management inefficiency rather than revenue shortages, noting the state collects $70 billion annually yet struggles to meet its obligations.
The ten-point framework outlines major changes to state spending, starting with the elimination of fraudulent services and redundant welfare programs. It seeks to reduce healthcare costs through public health initiatives, shift state agency funding to strict performance-based metrics, and mandate E-Verify for employers to curtail off-books labor. On education, the blueprint proposes adopting Mississippi’s reform model, pointing to its reading gains at a lower cost per student. Additional measures include expanding tourism promotion, launching Ben Carson’s “Operation Restore Lives” program to address urban homelessness and addiction, and introducing “Minnesota Direct,” a private donor model the campaign says can lower social service delivery costs by 40 percent.
Tax reductions under the proposal would take effect incrementally, beginning with a full exemption for senior citizens followed by rate cuts for all residents as spending benchmarks are met. Citing a 2024 WalletHub study ranking Minnesota seventh worst for tax burden, the campaign tied high taxes to the departure of over 100,000 residents under Governor Walz, with the income tax phaseout as the central step to making the state affordable.
