Budget

ST. PAUL -- At least they are talking. State leaders expanded budget talks Tuesday to deal with major money issues remaining before the Minnesota Legislature adjourns Monday. Talks had focused on transportation funding, but facing the adjournment deadline negotiators began to also...

ST. PAUL — Abortion. Transportation. Exploding trains and pipelines. Thursday brought a potpourri of hot-button issues to Minnesota legislative debate. Lawmakers often avoided dry money talk in spending hours debating tweaks to the current two-year, $42 billion budget. Instead,...

If it’s September, then elected officials in Washington must be talking about short-term budget fixes. In what has become commonplace, Congress will not approve a full budget by the time the fiscal year ends Sept. 30, but lawmakers representing the Upper Midwest are optimistic...

The Becker County Board of Commissioners has set the county’s preliminary levy for the 2016 year – a 2.94 percent increase. This is not the final levy. That will be set in December after the public hearing. The county board cannot increase the levy any more than the 2.94 percent,...

If it is September, then elected officials in Washington must be talking about short-term budget fixes. In what has become commonplace, Congress will not approve a full budget by the time the fiscal year ends Sept. 30, but lawmakers representing the Upper Midwest are optimistic...

A couple of months ago, the Congressional Budget Office issued a sobering report on the U.S. economy’s long-term prospects. Not to put too fine a point on it, we’re headed for the fiscal rocks. Federal spending accounts for about 20 percent of the nation’s GDP, the budget...

The most important function Congress serves is to debate and pass the federal budget. I know — it also levies taxes, imposes or relaxes regulations, and once in a while nudges our social, economic or political order in a meaningful way. But the budget tells the government what to...

Money and love. Unfortunately, they clash all too often. It would be sad to add up how many promising relationships went down the tubes because of arguments over money. According to a Harris Interactive survey, money is the top reason for marital spats. So, how can couples avoid...

ST.PAUL – Details remain to be worked out before Minnesota leaders are ready for a special legislative session to finish the state budget. Leaders on Tuesday sounded much like they did late Monday, saying they are close, but technicalities remain and they hoped a special session...

ST. PAUL -- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton Friday signed half of the state's budget bills into law. On Thursday, he vetoed an education spending bill, leaving three more for him to sign or veto Saturday. He already vetoed one. The bills are part of a package that would spend nearly...

ST. PAUL -- Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed the state’s education budget Thursday, setting up a special session of the Legislature in the coming weeks. Dayton had promised to veto the budget earlier this week but couldn’t use his veto power until the bill was officially presented to...

ST. PAUL — With just a week to go until the Minnesota Legislature must adjourn, the Capitol is about to become a humid den of chaotic action. Lawmakers will debate and trade votes late into the night. Their overworked staffs will scour bill language and spreadsheets until their...