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More left on the bottom line

Published (4/8/2011)
By Nick Busse
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The state could have a little more money for flood relief and other purposes, after members of the House Ways and Means Committee updated the House’s budget resolution April 4.

The resolution, which sets the General Fund spending targets for all House omnibus finance bills, was amended to provide slightly less than $30 million for “claims and other bills” — a catch-all category that can be used for settling claims against the state and other purposes. Previously, the target had been set at $5.1 million.

Asked whether the money might go to pay for flood relief, Committee Chairwoman Mary Liz Holberg (R-Lakeville) replied, “That would be one possible use for the money.”

According to Holberg, the House omnibus tax bill and omnibus education finance bill both came in slightly under target — by approximately $3 million and $1.8 million, respectively. Another $20.1 million was subtracted from the health and human services budget target, for a total of $24.9 million to add to the bottom line.

The House’s overall General Fund spending target of $34.26 billion, representing a 12.2 percent cut from forecasted base spending, remains unchanged.

Here are the updated budget targets, including their percentage change from forecasted spending levels:

• $14.16 billion for K-12 education

(-9.4 percent);

• $10.69 billion for health and human services (-13.4 percent);

• $2.96 billion for tax aids and credits

(-15.8 percent);

• $2.51 billion for higher education

(-14.1 percent);

• $1.16 billion for capital investment

(-5.7 percent);

• $1.03 billion for public safety

(-2.8 percent);

• $726.8 million for judiciary (0 percent);

• $602 million for state government

(-34.1 percent);

• $228.1 million for environment, energy and natural resources (-22.3 percent);

• $81.6 million for jobs and economic development (-51.5 percent);

• $76.8 million for agriculture (-14 percent);

• $41.8 million for transportation

(-76.8 percent); and

• $30 million for claims and other bills

(0 percent).

An updated spreadsheet is available online from the nonpartisan House Fiscal Analysis Department.

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