Walz Budget Focuses on Education, Children and Families

January 26, 2023

Gov. Tim Walz released his 2023-24 state budget proposal this week, detailing his recommendations on how to use the state’s $17.6 billion surplus. In total, the plan would raise the state general fund, two-year budget to $65.2 billion – the largest in Minnesota’s history. The focus of Walz’s proposal is dedicated to increased spending in education, children, and families. 

“I have made it my mission to make Minnesota the best state in the country for kids to grow up,” Walz said at the first in a series of press events unveiling his budget release. 

Walz recommends spending $12 billion to fund education, children, and families by funding mental health support services in schools, free school lunches, expanded access to pre-kindergarten, a significant expansion of Minnesota’s child tax credit laws and the creation of a new paid family and medical leave program. He also recommends the creation of a new Department of Children, Youth and Families.  

As part of his health and human services budget proposals, Walz recommends new dedicated funding to preventative mental health services, increased prescription drug price transparency, expanding MinnesotaCare to allow more Minnesotans to buy-in to the program, and funding for community-based organization grants dedicated to health equity. His recommendations also include funding for a primary care study to research payment and reimbursement restructuring to provide free primary care for Minnesotans. 

In his public safety recommendations, Walz included requiring universal background checks on all firearm sales, adoption of risk protection or “red flag” laws, establishing a minimum age of 21 to purchase military-style firearms, a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines, and safe storage requirements for firearms. The MMA sent a letter of support for this public safety package, given its long history of advocating for more common-sense gun safety legislation.  

The Legislature will spend the coming weeks reviewing the hundreds of pages that make up the governor’s plan prior to any action. In March, the state will release an updated budget forecast prior to final action on all state budget recommendations.