The February budget forecast from Minnesota Management and Budget was presented today with a budget and economic forecast projecting a positive balance of $1.6 billion for the FY 2022-23 biennium.
In response, Senator Erin Murphy, DFL-Saint Paul, released the following statement:
“COVID-19 has made this past year hard for all of us and the evidence of suffering is all around. We can’t afford to simply go back to the way things were because pre-pandemic Minnesota was broken for too many. I’ve listened to Minnesotans across the state and their needs are clear: paid family leave, affordable childcare, investments in housing and infrastructure, health care, and our schools. Our bright future requires significant investment in our people and hasty tax cutting undermines that.
“It is not enough to look at the budget as a game of political chess or a math problem. If that’s all we do, we are not meeting this moment and we will fail Minnesotans who need more from us than a status quo budget. We all contribute and it is time to ask the wealthiest in our state to pay their fair share so we can fund our families, our communities, and our future.”