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Dayton eyes surplus for broadband, tax cuts and education
Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday proposed using a $900 million budget surplus to tackle longstanding racial economic disparities, expand existing tax credits for child care and education costs and build out broadband Internet infrastructure into rural Minnesota.
State budget surplus drops to $900 million
State budget officials gave lawmakers unwelcome news Friday: Minnesota’s projected budget surplus has dropped from $1.2 billion to roughly $900 million, putting a squeeze on long legislative wish lists for tax cuts, transportation funding and other spending proposals. Gov. Mark Dayton and legislators took the news in stride, noting that the state is still sitting on a sizable surplus. But wit[...]
MN Chamber of Commerce lauds progress, urges tax cuts
Minnesota outpaces other states in workforce development initiatives and education outcomes, but the state’s premier business advocacy group warned Thursday that a high cost of doing business threatens long-term success. In its annual rundown of the state’s innovation, workforce and other economic indicators, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce — alongside more than 30 local chambers — hi[...]
MN’s housing needs outstrip public funding
Gov. Mark Dayton this year carved out a $90 million chunk of his bonding proposal to support affordable and workforce housing projects, but as legislators warm up to housing issues, more than 150 developers and advocates are calling for a beefier plan. They widely lauded the governor’s emphasis on housing issues, but the organizations – which banded together a few years ago as the Homes for[...]
Dayton’s $1.4B bonding package sidelines transportation
Gov. Mark Dayton left light rail transit and expansive highway and bridge repairs out of his $1.4 billion bonding request, saying he instead expected a comprehensive transportation bill to fill those funding gaps.
Minnesota’s budget surplus and what it means
First the good news. When the Minnesota Management and Budget office released its biannual budget forecast at the end of November, the state was facing its largest state reserve in history. The bad news: No one can quite agree on what to do with all this money. “It’s gonna be a huge political football,” says Jim Abeler, a Republican and former state representative from Anoka who is now ru[...]
$1.9B surplus revives clamor for business tax cuts
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce united with more than 70 other business groups from around the state to advocate for tax cuts after officials unveiled a projected $1.87 billion surplus heading into the next legislative session.
Minnesota budget forecast brings $1.9B in good news
The economic forecast produced by the Department of Minnesota Management and Budget details state government finances while estimating the amount of money lawmakers will have at their disposal in the Legislature’s election-year session.
Leaders see transportation bill on the horizon
Two key players at the Legislature signaled last month they see room for compromise on transportation.
Legal tab in auditor’s fight over audit law grows past $100K
The state auditor has run up a $100,000 legal tab as she considers suing to overturn a new audit privatization law.
State workers’ union contracts in limbo after vote
Labor contracts containing raises for thousands of Minnesota state government employees got thrown into limbo Thursday after a legislative panel failed to ratify them.
Report: Businesses oppose new transportation taxes
Business owners are nearly equally split on whether new transportation funding sources are needed in Minnesota.
Top News
- Federal judge rules for students with disabilities in age-cutoff case
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- Legal education for incarcerated students expands
- Hamline prof dismissed over Muhammad image can proceed with lawsuit
- Supreme Court backs woman’s false-reporting conviction
- Pot smell not enough for search
- Cash bail disproportionately impacts people of color
- Wisconsin court candidates often speak out on hot topics
Expert Testimony
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- Understanding the proposal to extend overtime
- Perspectives: Pill case may be a bitter one for abortion rights
