February Budget Forecast / Breaking Barriers to Affordable Housing / Ensuring the Viability of EMS

Minnesota has a surplus of $3.7 billion for the current biennium, according to the just-released February Budget and Economic Forecast. Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders respond to the report as they prepare to finalize supplemental spending proposals for the 2024 legislative session.

During the 2023 legislative session, one billion dollars from the budget surplus was directed to housing initiatives. Last week, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and advocates called a press conference to outline policies intended to spark the construction of more affordable housing options throughout the state. Senator Lindsey Port, chair of the Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to walk through some of the proposed changes.

The Emergency Medical Services Task Force, created by the legislature during the 2023 session, held its first meeting in December, followed by field hearings around Minnesota. A final report is due to the legislature by mid-August. Meanwhile, the situation is dire for some EMS and ambulance services, and recommendations will be considered this session. Senator Judy Seeberger, DFL-Afton, co-chair of the task force, joins Shannon to explain.

Also in the program, Senate Republican leaders unveil the first part of their "Repair Minnesota" agenda, aspiring educators and DFL lawmakers call for a tuition waiver for student teachers, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers and EMS professions urge passage of an emergency funding bill.