Today the Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) office released the February budget forecast, showing an updated $6 billion deficit, which is nearly $1 billion more than was projected in the November forecast. The short-term surplus has also been reduced from $616 million to $456 million. These forecast numbers do not account for any new spending in the current legislative year.

Senator Eric Pratt (R-Prior Lake) released the following statement in response:

“The latest forecast shows that the Governor and Democrat leadership took a stable and balanced budget under Republicans and broke it. Spending our state into a historic deficit is not ‘leadership’ and Minnesota families will suffer because of it.”

“Democrats will try to hide that we are already in a deficit. The forecast shows the state will spend over $2 billion more than we will bring in over the next two years. This is unsustainable. Democrats are essentially draining the state’s saving account, using one-time money to fund the massive increases in ongoing spending they passed last session.”

“The bottom line is the spending is unsustainable. We need to take a hard look at our budget and eliminate wasteful spending where we can because Minnesotans should not be forced to pick up the bill for Democrats’ continued out-of-control spending. Today’s $6 billion deficit is proof that Minnesota cannot afford Democrat leadership.”

Democrats have grown Minnesota government from a $39 billion general fund budget in 2014 to $71 billion in 2024, and Minnesota is already ranked the 46th worst state when it comes to local tax burdens.