Top leaders have big differences for start of 2020 MN legislative session

The Minnesota Legislature opens its 2020 session at noon tomorrow, and top leaders have quite different ideas about what to do with the state’s expected 1.3-billion-dollar budget surplus. House Democrats want to beef up early childhood education programs. Senate Republicans propose eliminating state income tax on Social Security benefits. Governor Tim Walz says the surplus and low interest rates are an opportunity for a “robust” bonding bill for state public works projects. His proposal is two billion dollars. House Democrats haven’t said what their number is, but some high-ranking D-F-Lers have been tossing around as much as three-and-a-half billion dollars. But Senate Republicans are talking about under a billion dollars. Their leader vows they will not spend every penny of the surplus, borrow to the brink, or institute massive new programs.