7 days ago
Overtime period appears nearly done as budget deals materialize
The Brief
Legislative leaders expect this to be the last week to start without a special session announced to vote on final budget deals.
Legislators have agreements on every necessary omnibus budget bill. They're still working out policy issues in some cases.
The health bill isn't finalized, but a spreadsheet shows MN Care cuts that seem to match an agreement to drop undocumented adults from the healthcare program.
The education bill is written out and includes a steady budget for the next two years, but large cuts for 2028-29, mainly to special education.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The finish line might finally be visible for Minnesota's drawn-out budget deal.
'The end is near'
Week three of overtime is here, and leaders expect it to be the last one.
Lawmakers tell FOX 9 a special session could happen as soon as Wednesday.
Leaders still have some heavy lifting to do in their policy negotiations, but there's an agreement now on the money in every bill, and the details are starting to become public.
For example, the health bill isn't written out yet, but a spreadsheet includes major cuts to Minn-Care, which matches an agreement to remove undocumented adults from the program.
Steady for now
The biggest slice of Minnesota's budget pie is essentially done and Democrats protected some of the changes they made during their trifecta two years ago.
"An education formula that is still indexed to inflation," said Rep. Cheryl Youakim (DFL-Hopkins). "And a bill that does not repeal unemployment insurance for our hourly, valuable hourly workers."
But Republicans warn this budget could serve as a canary in a coal mine.
It leaves funding steady for the next two years — without cuts even to private schools, as the governor had suggested.
Cuts coming
But in the next budget, this agreement calls for $420 million in cuts that will undoubtedly hit school districts hard.
"You look at the declining enrollment, you look at the special ed costs coming up," said Rep. Ron Kresha (R-Little Falls). "I hope that people and school boards and superintendents and teachers alike are looking at this going how are we going to mitigate the risks that are in front of us."
Some of the cuts are already laid out — including $48 million in transportation funding for special ed students.
"I know the decisions around what programs would receive reductions was not easy," said Education Commissioner Willie Jett. "The hardest one was in special education."
Blue Ribbon scalpel
Jett will head up a Blue Ribbon commission to chop another $250 million from special education, almost 10% of the entire special ed budget for 2028-29.
What's left?
And at least one policy issue may still be up in the air.
"If any of you have strong opinions either for or against them, seclusion rooms are that issue if you will," said Sen. Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie). "We're still working on it."
The expansion of seclusion rooms that passed in the Senate is not in the fully written education bill, but working group members tell us it's possible this isn't the final version of the bill that'll be up for a vote during the special session.
