(KNSI) – The deadline to prevent a state government shutdown looms this week as Minnesota lawmakers make some progress over the weekend in advancing the state’s next two-year budget.
On Saturday, Gov. Tim Walz signed five omnibus funding bills: higher education, agriculture, commerce and energy, transportation and legacy, which funds projects that restore and protect Minnesota’s natural ecosystems and water quality.
“I look forward to signing additional bills in the days to come as we work together to pass a two-year state budget that will drive our economic recovery by supporting working families, ensuring our students catch up on learning, and helping our small business thrive,” Walz said.
The DFL-led House passed two more budget bills on Saturday, also. The first, the E-12 education bill, would expand the state’s general education budget by 2.45 percent in 2022 and 2 percent more in 2023. It also creates incentives for Minnesota teachers, like $400,000 allocated for Come Teach in MN hiring bonuses and $4.5 million for mentoring and retention grants for teachers of color.
“Despite being the only divided state legislature in the country, House Democrats fended off harmful private school vouchers and secured the strongest state investments in public education in 15 years,” said House education committee chair DFL Rep. Jim Davnie of Minneapolis. “We’re making progress in closing the opportunity gap by hiring and retaining more teachers of color and Indigenous teachers to better reflect our student population. Our education budget delivers students and families the tools they need to recover from the pandemic challenges and thrive well into the future.”
The second budget bill passed by the House this weekend sets the next two-year budget for health and human services. House health committee chair DFL Rep. Tina Liebling of Rochester says the legislature created the most robust HHS budget bill in a generation to help Minnesotans recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The budget includes a wide variety of investments to secure a healthier future for Minnesotans in every community,” Liebling said. “I’m excited for our legislation to receive the governor’s signature and once it’s law, to see the many ways we are able to help Minnesotans.”
The bill would allocate $30 million toward new local public health grants and a new public health funding distribution framework. It would also boost compensation for home care providers and personal care attendants who help people with disabilities, and the legislation expands eligibility for the Child Care Assistance Program.
As for the public safety budget bill — arguably the most contentious part of the budget in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and three fatal shootings by metro-area law enforcement over the past year — GOP and DFL lawmakers have come to an agreement on the matter. Provisions include creating a police misconduct database, an office to investigate missing and murdered Indigenous Minnesotans and a task force for missing and murdered Black women.
The House, Senate and Walz must pass the state budget measures before midnight on June 30th to avoid a state government shutdown.
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