House leaders release committee budget targets

With all session committee deadlines less than two weeks away, House leaders announced an agreement Saturday on committee finance targets while crafting a spending plan for the 2026-27 biennium.

The agreement calls for an almost $1.16 billion reduction in General Fund spending, including $300 million in human services and $50 million in both health and workforce.

“Working in a bipartisan fashion, Democrats and Republicans in the Minnesota House were able to agree on a budget framework that responsibly slows expenditures in areas that are growing faster than the rate of inflation. This is a responsible approach that ensures budget stability now and into the future, helping to avoid dramatic cuts to essential services down the road,” Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) said in a statement. He and Rep. Paul Torkelson (R-Hanska) co-chair the House Ways and Means Committee.

In a statement, House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) said: "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. I look forward to our chairs working to put together a common-sense budget that makes life more affordable for Minnesotans.”