Senate Majority Leader Bakk Outlines Budget Goals

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk talks with Julie Bartkey about the Senate budget targets. The targets will guide Senate finance divisions as they prepare the various budgets for education, higher education, health and human services, agriculture, economic development, the judiciary, public safety, state government agencies and veterans affairs.

According to Bakk, about one-half of the Senate budget targets will be aimed at elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. Health and human services funding will resemble Governor Dayton's level of funding rather than the House-announced budget targets. "We're going to spend less than the governor. We're going to cut taxes less than the House. We're going to put more money in the budget reserve than the House did." said Bakk.

Of the projected $1.8 billion dollar surplus, the Senate DFL would set aside $250 million dollars for the budget reserve. Nearly $460 million dollars would be designated for tax changes, such as an increase in local government aid or tax reductions. Early childhood through high school education would receive an extra $350 milion dollars, while $205 million dollars would be available for more higher education allocations. The health and human services budget will have an additional $341 million dollars, under the Senate DFL plan.

In a written statement, Senate Minority Leader David Hann said, "The Republican budget...is designed to increase family budgets and grow the state's economy." He added, "Like Gov. Dayton , Senator Bakk and the Senate Democrats have forgotten who the budget surplus actually belongs to: the people of Minnesota."

Senate finance divisions will begin working on budget bills in earnest when lawmakers return to the Capitol Tuesday, April 7, following the Passover, Easter break.