This is a summary of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's budget, if he were to have taken the Budget Balancer. In other words, this is a simplified version of his actual budget. But it does give you a fairly detailed look at the moves he's proposing, and what the effects of those decisions might be.
To try balancing the Minnesota state budget on your own, visit the Minnesota Public Radio Budget Balancer at www.mpr.org/budgetbalancer/
| Expenditures |
| K-12 Education |
12,413,000,000.00 |
| General Education |
+$400 million
|
| Impact:
Add $400 million or 3.3% to general education to cover inflation.
|
| Health and Human Services |
8,385,000,000.00 |
| State Health Care Assistance |
-$247 million
|
| Impact:
Cut $247 million or 3.3% from state health care assistance and grants.
|
| Payments to Providers |
+$0
|
| Impact:
Provide no money to match inflation, which is like cutting payments to health care providers 3.3%.
|
| Aid to Local Government |
2,921,000,000.00 |
| Local Government Aid |
-$40 million
|
| Impact:
Cut $40 million, or 3% in aid to suburban cities.
|
| Higher Education |
2,772,000,000.00 |
| MnSCU |
-$25 million
|
| Impact:
Cut $25 million or 2% of state funding for MnSCU.
|
| University of Minnesota |
+$47 million
|
| Impact:
Add $47 million or 4% to state support for the U of M.
|
| Aid for Low-Income Students |
+$0
|
| Impact:
Provide no money to match inflation, which is like cutting about 3.3% of student aid.
|
| Criminal Justice |
1,684,000,000.00 |
| Courts |
+$41 million
|
| Impact:
Add $41 million or 8% to the courts.
|
| Public Defenders |
+$30 million
|
| Impact:
Add $30 million or 27% to the public defenders' budget.
|
| Corrections |
+$26 million
|
| Impact:
Add $26 million or 3% to corrections.
|
| State Government and the Arts |
539,000,000.00 |
| State Agencies |
-$81 million
|
| Impact:
Cut $81 million or 14.5% of state agency funds.
|
| Arts and Culture |
-$2 million
|
| Impact:
Cut the Perpich Center and Historical Society by $2 million.
|
| Other Areas |
628,000,000.00 |
| Environment and Conservation |
-$20 million
|
| Impact:
Cut $20 million or 9% from conservation and the environment.
|
| Agriculture |
+$0
|
| Impact:
Provide no money to match inflation, which is like cutting agriculture 3.3%.
|
| Economic Development |
-$28 million
|
| Impact:
Cut $28 million or 8% by reducing youth programs, tourism support and housing assistance.
|
| Revenue |
| Income Taxes |
0.00 |
| Personal Income Tax |
+$0
|
| Impact:
Don't change personal income taxes.
|
| Corporate Income Tax |
+$0
|
| Impact:
Don't change corporate income taxes.
|
| Sales Taxes |
0.00 |
| Sales Tax |
+$0
|
| Impact:
Don't change sales taxes.
|
| Automobile Sales Tax |
+$0
|
| Impact:
Don't change the automobile sales tax
|
| One-Time Moves |
0.00 |
| Revenue Shifts |
+$110 million
|
| Impact:
Use tax and one-time policy shifts to net $110 million.
|
| Payment Delays |
+$121 million
|
| Impact:
Gain $121 million by freezing child care payments and delaying projects for low-income folks.
|
| Switch Funding Sources |
+$221 million
|
| Impact:
Shift fees and pay for GAMC with the Health Care Access Fund to get $221 million.
|
| Raid Reserves |
-$75 million
|
| Impact:
Put $75 million in the reserve to cover anticipated federal cuts.
|
| 'Sin Taxes' |
0.00 |
| Tobacco Tax |
+$0
|
| Impact:
Don't change the tobacco tax.
|
| Alcohol Taxes |
+$0
|
| Impact:
Don't change alcohol taxes.
|
| Expand Gambling |
+$200 million
|
| Impact:
Gain $200 million by opening a metro-area casino.
|
