Governor Mark Dayton says despite the state’s projected budget deficit, Minnesota’s economy remains solid and only a “relatively minor mid-course adjustment” is needed to bring the budget into balance. But Dayton adds the deficit is also an “indicator that we’ve reached the limit” on what new investments can be made, given the current national economic climate. He adds, “We’re not spending excessively. We’re increasing spending on education, things that I think are vitally important… and if we can’t spend more because of an increasing amount of revenue, we can adjust accordingly.”
Some Democrats blame Republicans for pushing through tax cuts, but Dayton argues both spending and tax cuts contributed to the deficit.