Walz Touts Opportunities from Massive $17.6B Budget Surplus

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota lawmakers will head into the 2023 legislative session with a massive $17.6 billion projected budget surplus.

Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that he would like to return some of that money to taxpayers with rebate checks. He says the money presents a “golden opportunity” to make Minnesota a fairer, more inclusive and more prosperous state.

Leaders of the new Democratic majority in both houses of the Legislature were short on details about how they would like to use the surplus. Republicans, whose influence will be limited now that they have lost control of the Senate, are calling for tax cuts.