Budget deals remain elusive as end of session approaches

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Common ground on several budget bills remained elusive on Friday as Minnesota lawmakers rapidly approached the end of the legislative session.

Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman said tax committee chairs have made “fantastic progress” on a $4 billon tax relief bill, echoing Republican Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller's comments Thursday that a deal on the package was close.

But sticking points between Senate Republican and House Democratic committee chairs in most other areas — including health and human services, education and public safety — have forced leaders to get involved and try to force agreements before an 11:59 p.m. deadline on Sunday.

“They have to get realistic,” Hortman told reporters. “Everybody has to kind of cut to the chase and understand that compromise means some ideas from both sides are in the final agreement.”

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and top legislators agreed on targets for how to divide up the state's $9.25 billion budget surplus earlier this week, with $4 billion for tax relief, $4 billion in spending and another $4 billion to be left in reserve.

The spending portion includes $1 billion each for education, and health and human services, and $450 million for public safety.

Even though the tax bill was the closest of the big bills to being finished, Hortman said the legislation — which needs to pass the House before it goes to the Senate — will be used as leverage to ensure all of the other bills get done first before it is brought to the floor.

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Mohamed Ibrahim is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.