Statement from Phillip C. Parrish, Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026
Fellow Minnesotans,
As we look toward a brighter future for our state, I am proud to highlight the transformative benefits of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1, 119th Congress), signed into law on July 4, 2025. This landmark legislation delivers real, tangible support to Minnesota’s hardworking families, farmers, small businesses, and communities, empowering us to thrive in an economy that rewards effort and ingenuity. As your candidate for Governor in 2026, I am committed to ensuring these benefits are fully realized, while condemning the political gamesmanship and fear-mongering that obscure the truth. I also call for a renewed commitment to ethical journalism that informs, rather than divides, our great state.
Empowering Minnesota’s Families and Workers
H.R.1 brings substantial relief to Minnesota taxpayers through permanent tax cuts, including the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act rates (10%-37%), an increased standard deduction ($1,000-$2,000 more through 2028), and a boosted child tax credit of $2,500 per child (Sec. 110001-110004). For a Minnesota family of four earning $81,000, this could mean $2,000-$3,000 in annual savings, putting more money back into your pockets for groceries, housing, or education. New deductions for tips and overtime income (up to $160,000) reward our service workers in Minneapolis restaurants and manufacturing employees in St. Cloud (Sec. 110101-110102). Seniors, a vital part of our communities, gain an additional $4,000 deduction (Sec. 110103), easing financial burdens in retirement. The introduction of “Trump accounts” with a $1,000 federal deposit for children born between 2025 and 2029 (Sec. 110115-110116) ensures young families in places like Eden Prairie can save for their kids’ education or first home, securing a brighter future.
Strengthening Rural Minnesota and Small Businesses
Minnesota’s $26 billion agricultural sector, from dairy farms in Stearns County to soybean fields in Blue Earth, benefits immensely from H.R.1’s extension of commodity programs like Dairy Margin Coverage and a $285 million annual investment in agricultural export markets (Sec. 10101-10103). These measures bolster our farmers’ competitiveness globally, ensuring rural prosperity. Small businesses, the backbone of our economy, gain from 100% bonus depreciation through 2029, increased expensing limits to $2.5 million, and simplified cash accounting for manufacturers with up to $80 million in receipts (Sec. 111001-111109). These provisions support job creation in Rochester, Duluth, and beyond, helping our 530,000 small businesses thrive.
Advancing Workforce and Health Care Opportunities
H.R.1 invests in Minnesota’s workforce by introducing Workforce Pell Grants for short-term training programs (Sec. 30032), enabling workers in the Iron Range or Mankato to gain skills for high-demand jobs in manufacturing and health care. Expanded 529 plan uses for elementary, secondary, and trade education (Sec. 110110-110111) make learning more affordable for families statewide. Health care flexibility is enhanced through expanded Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and CHOICE arrangements, allowing Minnesotans to save tax-free for medical expenses and choose plans that fit their needs (Sec. 110201-110213). These benefits empower our workers and families to build secure, self-reliant futures.
Condemning Political Gamesmanship
It is deeply troubling that some Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (MNDFL) politicians have resorted to fear-mongering and half-truths to misrepresent H.R.1. By focusing on speculative worst-case scenarios—such as exaggerated claims of “cruel cuts” to SNAP and Medicaid or environmental devastation—they obscure the bill’s benefits for Minnesota’s working families. For instance, SNAP reforms (Sec. 10002-10012) target able-bodied adults while preserving exemptions for the disabled and parents with young children, and Minnesota’s existing Medicaid expansion remains secure (Sec. 44131). Claims that tax cuts favor only the wealthy ignore the child tax credit, tip deductions, and senior relief that directly aid middle-class Minnesotans. This political gamesmanship, especially in the wake of the tragic 2025 shootings of Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman, exploits our state’s divisions for partisan gain, sowing distrust rather than unity. As Governor, I will reject such tactics and focus on policies that uplift all Minnesotans.
Calling for Ethical Journalism
Certain legacy media outlets, including the Minnesota Reformer and Star Tribune, have amplified these negative narratives, prioritizing clicks and subscriptions over truth. By emphasizing program cuts without noting exemptions or highlighting green energy rescissions while ignoring state-level renewable funding, they distort H.R.1’s impact. This fear-for-profit approach undermines Minnesotans’ ability to make informed decisions. I call on our state’s journalists to uphold genuine ethics—reporting facts comprehensively, balancing benefits like tax relief and rural investments with policy changes, and avoiding sensationalism. Minnesotans deserve media that illuminates truth, not division.
A Vision for Minnesota
As your candidate for Governor, I pledge to champion the opportunities H.R.1 provides: lower taxes, thriving farms, empowered small businesses, and accessible education and health care. Together, we can build a Minnesota where hard work is rewarded, rural communities flourish, and families secure their futures. Let us rise above divisive rhetoric and embrace policies that unite us in prosperity. I urge all Minnesotans to read the bill’s text at Congress.gov and see through the fear to the hope and opportunity it offers.
Sincerely,
Phillip C. Parrish
Candidate for Governor of Minnesota, 2026
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