Dear Neighbor,
The House and Senate continue to make good progress on a new state budget after having reached a compromise on the major finance bills that outline our next two-year plan.
Both bodies have worked together in good faith to bring budget bills to this point earlier than what is customary. This was done with the intent of allowing more time to iron out differences and lessen the crunch leading up to adjournment.
We look forward to working with the governor to find a solution on the budget. I hope he is prepared to work in good faith toward compromise with the Legislature so we can finish our work and complete our budget on time. Meaningful tax relief, significant investments in our roads and bridges and more are hanging in the balance.
As for the spending totals from the House-Senate agreements, some notable figures include $1.15 billion in tax relief, $372 million in new, ongoing funding for road and bridge infrastructure, and more than $1.1 billion in increased funding for K-12 schools compared with the previous two-year budget.
On a local note, it is good to see the State Government Finance Conference Committee Report included $10 million in operational funding for veterans facilities potentially to be built in underserved regions of Minnesota such as Bemidji. This is positive step, but we also know things remain subject to change as budget negotiations continue between the Legislature and the governor.
Complete details for each of the Legislative budget bills in conference committees can be found here.
This is a very fluid situation, so stay tuned for more from the Capitol as we make our way into the last full two weeks of the session.
Sincerely,
Matt