Today is the first deadline day at the Minnesota State Legislature. This means that any policy bill introduced this session must be passed by committees in the chamber of origin (House or Senate) to continue in the legislative process. We expect Governor Walz will release his revised budget recommendations next week in response to the February forecast.
Today is the first deadline day at the Minnesota State Legislature. This means that any policy bill introduced this session must be passed by committees in the chamber of origin (House or Senate) to continue in the legislative process.
The first deadline will significantly narrow the nearly 4,300 bills introduced during the session so far. As a result, the House and Senate committees this week have focused predominantly on moving bills through to meet this deadline. The deadlines do not apply to the House committees on Capital Investment, Ways and Means, Taxes, or Rules and Legislative Administration, nor to the Senate committees on Capital Investment, Finance, Taxes, or Rules and Administration.
We expect Governor Walz will release his revised budget recommendations next week in response to the February forecast, which projected a $1.6 billion state budget surplus for the FY22-23 biennium. The House and Senate will then release their budget targets and recommendations in the coming weeks, setting the stage for negotiations between the two chambers and the governor on a final budget deal. The Board of Regents has advanced a $46.5 million biennial budget request to the state this session.