Capitol Report Minnesota Senate Media Services

The chair of the Senate Finance Committee is one of the most powerful positions in the Senate. Any bill with a fiscal impact must get its final approval from the committee, and the chair ultimately decides which bills to consider. Senator John Marty, DFL-Roseville, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about the budget surplus and proposals for a MinnesotaCare public option, universal health care, legalizing sports betting, a...

Minnesota has a surplus of $3.7 billion for the current biennium, according to the just-released February Budget and Economic Forecast. Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders respond to the report as they prepare to finalize supplemental spending proposals for the 2024 legislative session.During the 2023 legislative session, one billion dollars from the budget surplus was directed to housing initiatives. Last week, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and advocates called a press conf...