St. Paul, Minn. – Yesterday, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released the November budget forecast which revealed a historic budget surplus of $7.7 billion for the FY 2022-2023 biennium with $870 million of the surplus, by law, to be moved to restore the state’s budget reserve.
In response, Senator Greg Clausen (DFL- Apple Valley) released the following statement:
“Although the news of the surplus is certainly encouraging, especially considering a deficit was initially anticipated, we must proceed with care and caution when deliberating over how best to use the additional funds –especially in a time of crisis.
The pandemic is not over yet. Hospitals continue to overflow beyond capacity, immense pressures still remain on our frontline workers, and marginalized groups are disproportionately burdened by the devastating impacts of the pandemic. We cannot afford to be negligent in prioritizing the budget surplus to support Minnesotans through an ongoing public health emergency. And with the new emergence of the Omicron variant, it is critical that we prioritize restoring funds to the Minnesota unemployment pool, invest in our frontline workers, teachers and students, small businesses, low-income laborers, working families, and all who have been especially impacted by the pandemic.”
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