Budget documents released by Minnesota Management Budget says the state is facing a $994 million budget deficit in the current budget cycle. That's an improvement of roughly $200 million from the November forecast.
The forecast will be officially released later this morning.
Governor Pawlenty and state lawmakers will have to raise revenue or cut spending to balance the state's budget. Pawlenty has said he opposes any tax increases. He released a budget plan that uses a mix of spending cuts, one-time money and federal money that hasn't been approved yet to balance the budget. Democrats were waiting for the forecast before they release their budget plan.
The budget picture isn't going to get easier in the future. The finance document says Minnesota is facing a $5.8 billion budget deficit in the next two year budget cycle.
The feature examines statements made by Minnesota politicians and checks them for accuracy. Based on data analysis, document reviews and interviews with non-partisan analysts, statements are rated either true, false or inconclusive. PoliGraph is a collaboration between Minnesota Public Radio News and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
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