Proposed Supplemental Budget - Fiscal Year 2025
On March 18, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz released a supplemental budget request for the current fiscal 2024-2025 biennial budget. The governor is proposing a total net general fund spending increase of $198.9 million for the biennium. After recommended changes for the current fiscal 2024-2055 biennium budget, the remaining general fund balance is projected at $3.5 billion. Based upon a February revenue forecast, total general fund revenues for the biennium are now projected to be 2.2 percent above the prior November revenue forecast. The recommended supplemental budget forecasts a 0.9 percent increase in fiscal 2025 total revenues compared to fiscal 2024.
Proposed Budget Highlights
The governor’s supplemental recommendation builds on work done last year to make Minnesota the best state in the nation for families, while maintaining a responsible, balanced budget. The budget proposal focuses on addressing pressing statewide needs, including rural emergency medical services, water quality, and child welfare. Highlights of the budget proposal include:
Public Safety and Emergency Services
- Includes $16 million to support ambulance services in Greater Minnesota, which have faced severe funding and personnel shortfalls.
- Provides grants to organizations that serve victims of crime, in addition to funding services to prevent recidivism and overdoses for people who are released from prisons and jails.
Childcare and Child Protection
- Makes investments in child protection, including funding to improve and modernize the state’s child welfare and social services reporting system so child welfare workers have more time to spend with children and families.
- Provides an additional 2,200 voluntary pre-K seats to prepare children for success and enhance their pre-reading, pre-math, language, and social skills.
Water Quality and Infrastructure
- Provides funding for in-home water treatment, well replacement, and other services for contaminated wells.
- The supplemental budget also acts as a state match for the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant that Minnesota is applying for in a competitive process.
- Additionally, the governor is recommending a $989 million bonding bill that focuses on safe drinking water, transportation, housing, and critical state infrastructure.