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Budget / Taxes

Jul 23, 2010

Paper Trail: 2010 Taxpayers League legislative scorecard

The Taxpayers League of Minnesota has issued its annual legislative scorecard for 2010. The scorecard is the de facto list of heros and goats among fiscal conservatives.

Jul 20, 2010

WSJ: Cities across U.S. contract for services as budgets plunge

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal contained a long piece about the budget crunches affecting cities across the country: "Services that cities can no longer afford to provide are being contracted to private vendors, counties or even neighboring towns...."

Jul 16, 2010

Minnesota ranks 12th in U.S. News’ Pain Index

U.S. News & World Report has published its so-called Pain Index that calculates the per-person financial impact of state and local budgets during the recession. Minnesota ranks high on the list.

Jul 12, 2010

Cash flow: State could have to start borrowing as early as this fall

Though Minnesota has managed so far to avoid borrowing to meet the state's day-to-day payment obligations, its good luck (and capacity for fiscal manipulation) is likely to run out before the end of FY2011 on June 30 of next year, and possibly as early as this fall.

Jun 23, 2010

MAPE kicks off $100,000 radio ad campaign

The MAPE public employees union is pushing back against GOP criticism with a new radio ad buy that highlights the work of public employees.

Jun 18, 2010

The Paper Trail: MN Budget Project writes the history of the 2010 session

The Minnesota Budget Project in a new analysis tells the story of the 2010 legislative session from the February forecast to the last weekend of session.

May 27, 2010

Pawlenty brandishes veto pen

Pawlenty line-item vetoed the tax bill. He also struck down legislation dealing with criminal convictions and a bill creating a council focusing on streamlining government services.

May 17, 2010

Updated: Let the session postmortems begin

The 2010 Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die this morning after passing a last-minute compromise that eliminated a $3 billion budget deficit. And within minutes of adjournment, the reaction flood began.

May 17, 2010

Budget deal still awaiting legislative approval

When Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislative leaders announced late Sunday night that they'd reached a deal to close the state's nearly $3 billion budget deficit, the session was expected to be over in a few hours. But the approval process has dragged on much longer than anticipated.

May 16, 2010

Budget deal in place, Legislature headed toward immediate special session

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the DFL-controlled legislature have apparently reached a deal to close the state's $3 billion deficit. But facing a midnight cutoff for any legislative votes, there's no time to get the agreement passed by the House and Senate.

May 16, 2010

Overheard at the Capitol: GOP health waiver push is about 2010 election

Shortly after legislators began gathering on the House floor Sunday afternoon, House Minority Leader Kurt Zellers (R-Maple Grove) told us on the chamber floor that he believed there was "no way" Gov. Tim Pawlenty would sign a budget bill that includes the early expansion federal Medicaid program that Democrats want.

May 16, 2010

Presidential politics and the last hours of session

With less than a dozen hours left to do a deal, the last regularly scheduled game of chicken between Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Minnesota Legislature comes down to this: Who will blink first over the inclusion of a federal Medicaid program in the budget?

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