Competing visions for Minnesota’s $9.25 billion budget surplus

Two competing visions for what to do with Minnesota's $9.25 billion budget surplus emerged this week at the Minnesota Capitol.

Republicans in the state Senate want to use much of the money for a big income tax cut, including eliminating taxes on Social Security income.

Democrats in the House want targeted tax cuts and credits for the parents of young children, renters, and first-time homeowners. They also want to increase spending by more than $1 billion over the next few years on schools, far more than the Republican Senate’s school spending plan.

MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talked about the competing visions with two House leaders. Plus, politics reporters weighed in on what happened at the legislature.

Guests:

• Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, is the Speaker of the Minnesota House.

• Rep. Anne Neu Brindley, R-North Branch, is Deputy Minority Leader of the Minnesota House.

• Briana Bierschbach is a politics and government reporter for the Star Tribune.

• Brain Bakst is a politics reporter for MPR News.