Minnesota Budget Plans

The state of Minnesota's budget determines what resources are available for everything from schools to health care to parks to transportation.

Understanding the budget proposals that are on the table, as well as what ultimately gets passed into law, is essential information you can use to become involved in influencing budget decisions. We analyze full budget proposals, as well as proposals on key components of the budget, from the governor and legislative bodies, emphasizing public services that expand opportunity and economic security to more Minnesotans.

Research

January 2012

Constitutional budget limits would put Minnesota's future at risk

Amending the Minnesota Constitution to limit lawmakers' ability to use available resources or decide the size of the state budget would endanger the state's economic future. Three proposed constitutional amendments would limit lawmakers' ability to respond to changing circumstances and needs. They would result in legislative gridlock and more budget gimmicks, ultimately putting the state's future at risk.

August 2011

2011 budget decisions will undermine current recovery and hurt state's long-term economic success

After a nearly three-week government shutdown, Governor Dayton and the Legislature finally agreed to a budget for the state's FY 2012-13 biennium. The agreement delays $2.2 billion in payments to school districts, borrows $640 million through tobacco bonds, and reduces funding for vital public services by more than $2 billion. This analysis examines the impact of these decisions on K-12 education, health and human services, higher education, jobs and economic development, public safety, transportation, and taxes.

June 2011

A tale of two visions: Comparing Governor Dayton's and the Legislature's FY 2012-13 budgets

During the 2011 Legislative Session, Governor Dayton and the Legislature put forward two very different plans for the state's next two-year budget. Governor Dayton has proposed a balanced approach that combines spending cuts and revenue increases, while the Legislature's budget relies heavily on deep cuts to services. This analysis compares the details of the two plans for K-12 education, health and human services, higher education, jobs and economic development, public safety, transportation, and taxes.

May 2011

Constitutional revenue limits damaged Colorado's business climate, quality of life

In 1992, Colorado adopted TABOR, a constitutional amendment that strictly limits state spending. The state soon found itself falling behind in many economic performance and achievement indicators. In 2005, a bipartisan, broad-based coalition of state leaders and groups succeeded in temporarily suspending TABOR to allow Colorado's economy to recover.

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Minnesota Budget Plans Blog Posts

April 16, 2024

Latest economic report shows Minnesota revenues coming in above forecast

Minnesota’s revenues are up, and the near-term national economic outlook is slightly improved compared to the February forecast, according to the new April Revenue and Economic Update from Minnesota Management and Budget. Here are some of the Minnesota Budget Project's top takeaways from the update, including what this might mean for budget and tax decisions this legislative session.

April 03, 2024

Joint state budget targets set for 2024 Legislative Session

Governor Tim Walz reached an agreement with House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy on budget targets on March 22. The agreement outlines targets of $478 million in net general budget changes, including increased spending or reduced revenues, for FY 2024-25 and $63 million for FY 2026-27. The joint budget targets also set the parameters for final budget negotiations between the House, Senate, and the governor.

March 26, 2024

Governor Walz’s supplemental budget proposal lays out his priorities

Governor Tim Walz released his governor’s supplemental budget proposal. The administration described the priorities for his budget as safe communities, clean drinking water, and support for children and families. At the Minnesota Budget Project, we were thrilled that one of our top priorities was included in the governor’s supplemental budget: resources to implement advance periodic payments of the Child Tax Credit. In total, Walz proposed $200 million in net general fund spending increases and revenue reductions in FY 2024-25 and $27 million in FY 2026-27.

March 23, 2023

Early agreement on state budget targets outline use of the surplus

On Tuesday, the Minnesota House and Senate leadership and Governor Tim Walz released joint budget targets that lay out ...

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