What Monday's $52 billion budget deal does -- and doesn't -- mean for Minnesota

Democrats in Minnesota state government thanked President Joe Biden and the Democratic Congress for sending them the money that made a $52 billion state budget deal come together Monday.

Republicans should have as well. Because without the $2.8 billion in direct cash to the state from the American Rescue Plan, reaching a deal would have been a lot harder.

Having a large cache of money tossed into negotiations at the end provided room for an agreement that satisfied the GOP’s no-new-taxes demand and the DFL’s insistence on boosting spending for schools and social programs.

Either/or became “Let’s do both.” And the deal was struck after a week or more of closed-door bargaining among Gov. Tim Walz, House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka. It was announced Monday before noon.

Read more: https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2021/05/what-mondays-52-billion-budget-deal-does-and-doesnt-mean-for-minnesota/