Much of the work for the next two-year state budget was left unfinished at the close of the 2021 Legislative Session. With general budget spending targets not released until the last day of session, a special session will be needed to finish the work. In the meantime, working groups were assigned to negotiate which spending proposals in each budget conference committee would be included in the final bills. Working groups were expected to have these fiscal spreadsheets completed by May 28 and policy priorities agreed upon by June 4. As of Thursday, May 27, few details have emerged about the status of these negotiations.
The Senate DFL asked for a transparent process through these budget negotiations. However, most of the work since the end of the session has been behind closed doors, leaving Minnesotans in the dark as to what will be in these final budgets. DFLers remain committed to building a budget that every Minnesotan deserves and delivering on the transformative changes our state needs to ensure everyone can thrive.