Governor Tim Walz is announcing his first two-year state budget proposal today at the State Capitol. The 47-billion-dollar spending plan prioritizes education, health care and community prosperity. The governor has proposed the state cover a greater share of the cost of E-12 education and free tuition at public colleges and universities the first two years. And he hasn’t ruled out a possible gas tax increase to cover road and bridge projects. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says Republicans “want to make sure that as we’re releasing the bills and looking at the overall budget, that we’ve protected the taxpayer.” Walz also wants to increase state aid to cities and counties and has hinted at income tax reductions for middle-class Minnesotans. The state has a projected one-and-a-half-billion-dollar budget surplus.