Governor Mark Dayton and lawmakers will be closely watching when the latest economic forecast comes out this morning. It will tell lawmakers how much money they have to work with when setting the state budget. The last forecast at the end of November showed a 1.4-billion-dollar surplus. Governor Mark Dayton predicted late last week the new number will “probably come out basically the same as where we are now.” If the number is higher, it’s possible the governor would bump-up spending proposals in his original budget — what he terms investments in Minnesota’s future. If the surplus is smaller, it would make it more difficult for him to convince Republicans who control the legislature — many of whom are pushing for larger tax cuts and less government spending. Dayton and Republicans have until the third week of May to agree, or it means a special session or even government shutdown.