Last week, the House of Representatives Republican majority announced their budget targets for the 2018 legislative session. In February the Minnesota Management and Budget projected the state to have a $329 million surplus. The targets nearly reach that limit with priorities being tax relief and transportation. The full list of spending priorities are below:

• $107.45 million in tax relief, including simplification of state taxes
• $101 million for road and bridge repairs
• $30.23 million for student safety through school safety improvements and mental health programming
• $15 million for expanding broadband internet access statewide
• $10 million to prevent a 7 percent cut to people caring for Minnesota's disabled community through Disability Waiver Rate System
• $8.893 million to enable a $825 million general obligation bonding package
• $7.12 million for public safety
• $5 million for higher education
• $750,000 to address chronic wasting disease which affects deer, elk, and moose populations
• $250,000 to support mental health counseling for farmers
• $50.6 million in other priorities including pension woes, vulnerable adult protection, and addressing the opioid crisis
• $7 million cut to state government by finding efficiencies

The 2018 budget would be in addition to the biennial budget that was passed at the end of the 2017 legislative session that topped $45 billion. The House and Senate will need to reconcile targets before they can present a budget to Governor Mark Dayton. The legislative session is set to conclude on May 21.