Friday marked the first committee deadline and thus a flurry of activity at the Capitol to act favorably on bills in their respective policy committees.
MNsure -
When Governor Mark Dayton’s supplemental budget...more
Surplus -
The state Republican Party has approved a “Give It All Back” ad campaign encouraging Gov. Dayton and the Legislature to return all of the projected $1.9 billion budget surplus to Minnesotans in the form of...more
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) announced a short time ago that the surplus for FY 2017-2017 has ballooned to $1.869 billion. This $832 million increase is mostly the result of additional revenue collections. Here is...more
Pay Raises/Ebola Funding -
Reacting to the firestorm over the Governor’s recent salary increases for his Commissioners, the House had inserted language to cut the funding for one year for the Departments of Health, HHS...more
MNsure -
In light of issues MNsure has encountered during its first year, Sen. Tony Lourey (D-Kerrick), Senate Health and Human Services Budget Committee Chair, wants more accountability. His bill eliminates the Board...more
Transportation -
On Monday, Governor Dayton presented his 2015 Transportation proposal. His proposal would bridge the $6 billion State highway transportation funding gap over the next 10 years by raising new dedicated...more
The incoming Republican Majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives released the 2015-16 committee schedule today. The new schedule can be found below. The House will meet regularly in session on Mondays and Thursdays...more
While everyone is focused on the upcoming November 4th elections, Minnesota’s Executive Branch is quietly assembling budget recommendations for the FY 2016-2017 biennium. These recommendations ultimately will be presented to...more
Before departing for their planned Easter/Passover break, the House and Senate pushed through a number of bills in a flurry of activity. Unusually short committee deadlines drove this process. These deadlines were: March 21...more
The Minnesota Legislature convened at noon on Tuesday, February 25. It hit the ground running with a minimum wage increase and tax cuts at the forefront. It has already passed a $20 million heating assistance bill. The House...more
House Speaker Paul Thissen (DFL-Mpls) and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook), announced today the three committee deadlines for the 2014 session. They are...more
Governor Mark Dayton announced this morning that Tina Smith will be his running mate as Lieutenant Governor on the 2014 ballot. Smith replaces current Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon who recently announced that she...more
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released aggregate economic forecast numbers this morning. The total surplus announced, before subtractions for past shifts, is $1.086 billion for fiscal years 2014-15. After the...more
The Minnesota House has set January 13, 2014 as the deadline for the pre-filing of bill introductions for the 2014 Legislative Session. All pre-filed bills will be posted publicly and will be available for interim committee...more
Did the estate tax change? I heard my income tax rate went up. I heard the historic tax credit was extended. These questions and many more are being asked by individual and business taxpayers in the wake of the 2013 Minnesota...more
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released the October Economic Update on Thursday, October 10th. The report can be found on the MMB web page below. Below is key information in a question and answer format....more
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) has released the end balance for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 which ended June 30, 2013. This surplus balance of $636 million was immediately used to repay the K-12 school shift. Details of the...more
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) announced revenue collections for August are $26 million less than projected. For the FY 2014-2015 biennium (which began July 1), collections are running $46 million behind what was...more
In Minnesota we have become used to the dog days of summer: long hot days spent at the lake, at the state fair, or soaking up sun in the yard. But a new tradition can now be added to these time-honored rituals. For the past...more
As a former Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) Commissioner, I am frequently asked about the practical differences in the three methods the State of Minnesota uses to provide economic and budget information to the general...more
Minnesota Management and Budget’s (MMB) July Economic Update reported that general fund revenues for FY 2013 have increased $463 million since the February Forecast. This revenue increase must be reconciled by MMB with any...more
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) reported on Monday, June 10th that revenue collections in Minnesota totaled $1.4 billion in May. This represents a $25.8 million increase over what was projected to be collected for the...more
Both the House and Senate Tax bills have begun to take shape at the Capitol this week. The House Omnibus Tax Bill passed out of the Tax Committee on Wednesday, April 17 and Ways and Means on Friday, April 19. The reform...more
Governor Mark Dayton formally released his supplemental budget on Thursday, March 14. The Governor’s revised budget is always issued a few weeks after the February Economic Forecast and usually includes only modest changes...more
According to Governor Mark Dayton’s Sales Tax Reform Plan, all existing and newly taxed items will be subject to a 20% sales tax rate reduction to 5.5%. Here is a list, released by the Minnesota Department of Revenue, of all...more