Minnesota Budget Plans

Round one: Governor's initial budget proposal focuses on spending cuts and one-time measures

The Budget Debate Begins The 2009 budget discussion began when Governor Pawlenty released his budget proposal in late Ja...

Kitchen table budget principles

A joint release with the Organizing Apprenticeship Project By Jermaine Toney, Organizing Apprenticeship Project The Sta...

Punting the problem: 2008 Legislative Session ends with a short-term solution

In the 2008 Legislative Session, policymakers were faced with the challenge of solving a projected $935 million deficit for the FY 2008-09 biennium and a $1.1 billion deficit for the FY 2010-11 biennium ($2.1 billion when the costs of inflation are included). Unfortunately, the final agreement between the Legislature and the Governor focused on some short-sighted solutions. 

This report takes a close look at the outcomes of the 2008 Legislative Session, focusing on how policymakers relied heavily on one-time resources to solve the deficit, as well as the impact on individual areas of the state’s budget.

Tough decisions in the 2008 Legislative Session leave even tougher choices for 2009