ST. PAUL, MN – The February budget forecast has been released and shows a projected budget deficit of $627 million for fiscal years 2014-15. The previous November budget forecast showed a projected deficit of $1.1 billion.
State Representative JoAnn Ward (DFL-Woodbury) released the following statement:
“Minnesota is making real progress towards economic recovery and I am encouraged that the state is in a better place now than a few months ago. We still must tackle a large deficit, but I am confident that we will close this gap in a responsible way that sets up Minnesota for future growth and prosperity.
“We cannot continue the cycle of budget deficits that have faced our state for the last ten years. We have a unique opportunity to responsibly restructure Minnesota’s finances to ensure a bright and competitive future. We cannot continue to have economic growth if we sacrifice our future.
“We need to make wise investments to grow middle-class jobs and strengthen education to build a 21st century workforce. If we make investments today to continue to grow our economy, Minnesota will do more than just recover from the recession—we will be better off than we were before.”
Rep. Ward can be reached by phone at (651) 296-7807 or by email at rep.joann.ward@house.mn.
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