April 3, 2025
Legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle announced an agreement on budget targets for the 2026-27 biennium. The targets inform committee chairs how much they are to cut or add to spending when drafting their final budget bills.
The Senate’s budget targets propose reducing state spending by $754 million in the upcoming two-year budget cycle and a reduction of $1.7 billion in future years. The House proposed a spending reduction of $1.2 billion for the upcoming budget cycle, and a reduction of $2.6 billion in future years.
The largest cuts include $300 million in human services and $50 million in both health and workforce. The announced cuts come after Minnesota Management and Budget announced a $456 million state budget surplus for the 2026-27 fiscal biennium, with a projected deficit of nearly $6 billion in the 2028-29 biennium.
"House Republicans are holding strong on fiscal responsibility, securing budget targets that would represent the largest spending cut in state history and taking a major step towards fixing the Democrat deficit,” said House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R – Cold Spring) in a statement. “I look forward to our chairs working to put together a common-sense budget that makes life more affordable for Minnesotans.”
Committee chairs will need to finalize omnibus budget bills before the April 11 legislative deadline for major appropriations bills.
April 9, 2026
An amended piece of legislation that would exempt buprenorphine from prior authorization (PA) was heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on April 9.
April 9, 2026
On April 9, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard a bill that would require coverage for psychiatric Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) services under Medical Assistance.
April 9, 2026
On April 9, the House Taxes Committee heard legislation focused on supporting the financial stability and ongoing operations of Hennepin Healthcare.