Governor Walz and state lawmakers reach agreement on education, public safety and tax bills

Leaders of the Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives said they reached agreement on a framework for the state budget.

According to Gov. Tim Walz’s office, the state will invest $4 billion in education, public safety and health care, and another $4 billion for a tax bill to provide financial relief to residents.

Lawmakers say the plan is split into:

• $4 billion for a tax bill
• $1.5 billion for additional investments
• $1.4 billion capital investment projects
• $1 billion for education
• $1 billion for health care and social services
• $450 million for public safety

Walz’s office says it will also leave $4 billion “to help the state manage future economic uncertainty.”

Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller and House Speaker Melissa Hortman released the following prepared statements Monday morning when announcing the plan:

“Getting money back to the people has been a top priority for Republicans this session and I’m so glad we were able to accomplish that with permanent, ongoing tax relief for hard-working Minnesotans, families and seniors. In addition to giving money back, this bipartisan agreement includes targeted investments in public safety, education, nursing homes and basic infrastructure projects. Finally, leaving money on the bottom line is the fiscal thing to do, especially as the economy appears to be slowing.

Senator Major Chief Jeremy Miller

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“House DFLs have been working all session to reduce costs for families, support workers and improve public safety. We reached bipartisan agreement on a budget framework that invests heavily in economic security, education, health care, and public safety for families to address the challenges Minnesotans face. These investments are in addition to the budget we passed last year and the frontline worker bonuses we passed last month. This is a positive step forward, but there is still a lot of work ahead of us in this last week of the legislative session.

Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman

Details about the plan are still being worked out, with legislative leaders saying conference committees will handle much of that work this week.

The legislative session ends on May 23. Earlier this month, Miller told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that he wasn’t planning any special sessions this year.

Minnesota has a budget surplus of $9.25 billion, which has fallen from $7.7 billion.

RELATED: Minnesota budget forecast improves projected surplus topping $9.2 billion

Walz also released a statement regarding the plan:

“I ran for governor to ensure that every student in every classroom in Minnesota receives an education that sets them up for success. As a former classroom teacher, I know these historic investments will enable us to ‘make it happen. With an unprecedented surplus, we have the ability to make significant investments in the things that will improve the lives of Minnesotans, like health care, public safety and education, while providing tax cuts. taxes and putting money in the pockets of Minnesotans.

Governor Tim Walz

You can watch a full press conference regarding the plan in the video player below.