February 28, 2022
Monday, February 28, the Minnesota Management and Budget Office came out with the revised forecast (following the tradition of releasing a forecast in November and an update in February to guide legislators during the session). A forecast improvement of $1.507 billion for the current biennium leads to a revised projected surplus of $9.253 billion. Although the projected surplus is larger than the November forecast, there is a lot of caution because of uncertainty stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Some Senators, including Chair Pratt of the Jobs and Economic Growth Committee (EDAM’s most crucial committee), have explicitly said they would hold off on hearing most bills until there was a forecast. The forecast announcement will likely result in a quicker pace at the legislature. We will update EDAM membership on priority issues and other bills of interest as they arise.
Meanwhile, the redistricting saga continues. Announcements of legislators retiring, moving, and seeking new offices, along with prospective candidates launching their campaigns, continue. Most notable of these may be the announcement that minority party leader Senator Lopez Franzen will not seek office after finishing her term. This interactive tool allows you to view how districts have changed.