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Gov. Tim Walz to present his proposed Minnesota budget Thursday

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Gov. Tim Walz to present his proposed Minnesota budget Thursday


Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will present his two-year budget proposal on Thursday amid an ongoing power struggle at the Capitol. 

Watch live: Walz is scheduled to present his plan at noon. You can watch it live in the player above. 

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Minnesota budget outlook

The backstory:

Two years after seeing a record-setting projected surplus of $17.5 billion in 2023, the Minnesota Legislature will be faced with much less of a fiscal cushion this session as state leaders projected a $616 million balance at the end of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 biennium, according to the budget outlook released in December 2024. That’s $1.1 billion lower than previously forecast. 

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The budget outlook is often the playbook for crafting the two-year budget. And with less money to spend this year, it’s expected that Walz’s plan will likely feature measures to control spending. 

This comes after the last budget year in 2023 when Democrats, who controlled the governor’s office, House and Senate, passed a roughly $70.6 billion budget plan — the highest ever in the state. 

What’s next:

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Another economic forecast will be released in February, and then state lawmakers in the House and Senate will craft their own budgets. 

The budget will need to pass both chambers and receive the governor’s signature before July 1 or some parts of the state government could face a shut-down. 

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Power struggle at the Minnesota Capitol

Dig deeper:

Walz’s budget announcement on Thursday comes as a power struggle in the Minnesota House of Representatives continues. Democrats and Republicans continue to argue about a power-sharing agreement in the House, with DFLers sitting out the first day of the legislative session believing they blocked a quorum. However, Republicans carried on as usual with a regular floor session — albeit a half-empty one — and committee hearings.

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Democrats have filed a petition to the Supreme Court against Republicans after they carried on business as usual this week, and they’ve asked the court to decide whether a quorum requires 68 or 67 members of the 134-member body. Only 133 members are currently sworn in, and Republicans have the current majority, 67-66. 

READ MORE: Taxpayers footing bill for political battle over Minnesota House

A special election on Jan. 28 in House District 40B will determine if the House is evenly split 67-67 or if Republicans control the House by a margin of 68-66. 

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Meanwhile, in the Senate, Republicans and Democrats have agreed on a power-sharing agreement for the time being. The chamber is tied at 33-33 due to a vacant seat in Senate District 60. A special election for that seat will be held on Jan. 28. 

PoliticsMinnesotaTim Walz



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Minnesota

Minnesota weather: Warm Saturday with hotter days ahead

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Minnesota weather: Warm Saturday with hotter days ahead


Expect a sunny Saturday with heat expected to build up this weekend before an even hotter work week. 

Saturday forecast 

Local perspective:

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Winds stay light out of the south with plenty of sunshine today. 

There are hints of an extremely isolated thundershower, but the chance of that happening over any given area is extremely small.

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Expect highs to peak in the upper 80s with dew points in the mid to upper 60s this afternoon.

Extended forecast

What’s next:

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This forecast is hot. 

Highs will peak in the 90s every day this upcoming week for the Twin Cities and a large portion of the area as well. 

Dew points really don’t look to surge into the 70s but mainly stay in the lower to upper 60s depending on the day of the week. 

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Little to no precipitation forecast this upcoming week. Expect dry and sunny days.

The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 weather forecast.  

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WeatherWeather Forecast



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How to prepare for extreme heat in Minnesota

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How to prepare for extreme heat in Minnesota


Minnesota’s climate is warming and extreme heat is becoming a bigger health concern. Coming up at 9 a.m. on Monday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about how dangerous heat affects our health, who’s most at risk, and how to stay safe.



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Northwest Minnesota Foundation awarded $200,000 for child care economic development

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Northwest Minnesota Foundation awarded 0,000 for child care economic development


BEMIDJI — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recently announced over $1.4 million in child care economic development grants, including a $200,000 award to the

Northwest Minnesota Foundation

in Bemidji.

Split between 11 programs and organizations around the state, more than 80% of the awarded funds support programs in Greater Minnesota, with the aim of creating more than 1,100 new child care slots.

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“Affordable, reliable child care is essential for a thriving economy,” DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in a release. “These grants are supporting working families by ensuring Minnesota parents are able to work knowing their child is well cared for by some of the best caregivers in the nation. We’re also helping employers retain talent and working together to establish the foundation for long-term economic vitality.”

DEED’s Child Care Economic Development Grant program provides funding to organizations and communities to invest in new or expanding child care businesses, including facility improvements, worker training, attraction, retention and licensing, and other strategies to address the child care shortage.

Since the office’s inception in July 2023, DEED has awarded over $13 million in grants to 56 organizations to fund child care startups or business expansions, resulting in over 4,000 new child care slots.

Our newsroom sometimes reports stories under the byline “Pioneer Staff Report.” This byline is used when reporters rewrite basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as an email or press release that requires little or no reporting.

Other times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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For questions about a staff report, call (218) 333-9796 or email news@bemidjipioneer.com.





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