House DFLers to release their budget fix this week

Democrats in the Minnesota House said they will begin releasing parts of their budget this week.

House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, didn't offer specifics on what will be released this week. But she said that Democrats will work to protect funding for nursing homes and schools in their budget.

"It's been no secret there was a deficit coming so members and chairs have been looking for weeks to find other places where they can find cuts that don't break the core principals that we had set out to invest in education and ensure that Minnesotans stay healthier and do those sorts of things," Kelliher said.

Kelliher has said that it's unlikely the Legislature will raise taxes to erase the state's projected $935 million budget deficit.

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, said he hopes Democrats don't change their mind.

"Hopefully, they're going to be real solutions in terms of limiting government, keeping it within its means, trying to balance the books without just taking the solution being Minnesota is just going to have to contribute more," Emmer said. "That's the wrong answer and hopefully that's not where they're going."

During last week's committee hearings, Democrats in the Legislature criticized Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposed cuts to the courts, health care and higher education. Pawlenty's proposal includes spending cuts, the use of budget reserves and money from a health care fund to balance the budget.

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