Governor and Minnesota Legislative Leaders Finalize a Budget Deal
Late in the evening on Sunday, May 19 with just over 24 hours before the deadline for adjournment of the 2019 legislative session, news came that Governor Tim Walz, Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader of the Senate Paul Gazelka had reached a budget agreement. After days of behind-doors negotiations, the “cone of silence,” or lack of availability that occurs during the final hours of budget negotiations, was broken.
Not long after the leadership of both House and Senate presented the deal to their respective caucuses to the sound of cheers. The Governor, Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader addressed the media to report that they had overcome partisan and cameral differences to announce that “we did it!”
Key aspects of the deal include the renewal of the health care provider tax at 1.8 percent throughout the next biennium, no new tax on fuel, and a significant bump in the per-pupil spending in K-12 education.
Throughout the coming week, the conference committees will continue their own negotiations over their respective bills and the final details of what policy crosses the finish line will emerge. The Minnesota Legislature will hold a one-day special session to conclude its official business on Thursday, May 23.
View the global agreement and conference committee framework.
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