The Advocate's Fiscal Toolbox
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State Budget & Economic Conditions
Forecasts and Economic Updates
The Minnesota Office of Management & Budget prepares forecasts
of state revenues and expenditures in November and February each
year. Forecast information is used by policymakers to ensure that
enacted budgets remain on track and in balance, and to plan for
future budgets.
The Office of Management & Budget also prepares quarterly Economic
Updates in January, April, July, and October each year. These
updates are not formal forecasts but report on year-to-date revenue
collections compared to previous forecasts, and make note of any
significant economic or revenue developments that have occurred
since the last formal forecast.
Governor’s Budget
Each odd-numbered legislative session, the Governor proposes the
Operating Budget,
often called the Biennial Budget, for the state of Minnesota. This
budget is for a two-year period. This budget includes expenditures
for education, roads and bridges, technology, health care, public
safety, housing, natural resources, agriculture, economic development,
and higher education, as well as funding for state agencies and
local units of government. In the even-numbered session, the Governor
may propose changes to the operating budget already in progress
in a proposed Supplemental Budget.
The above documents describe the budget as proposed by the Governor.
They are not updated to reflect how the budget is actually passed
by the legislature. For the results of legislative budget decisions,
see House Fiscal Analysis’s Summary of the Fiscal Actions of
the Legislature.
Capital Budget (Governor’s bonding proposal)
Capital budgets
finance land acquisition, repair, renovation, and construction of
state facilities and capital assets through the issuance of state
general obligation bonds. Capital budgets are normally passed during
even-numbered legislative sessions.
Again, House Fiscal Analysis
prepares a helpful overview of what capital budget items actually passed in
their Summary of the Capital Budget.
Taxes
The Minnesota Department of
Revenue prepares three very helpful research publications, which are described
below.
Tax Incidence Study
The Tax Incidence Study
answers the question “Who pays Minnesota’s
taxes?” It reports detailed information
on the household characteristics and taxes paid by Minnesotans, and is updated
every two years.
Tax Expenditure Budget
The Tax Expenditure Budget
outlines tax provisions that provide preferential treatment for certain
persons, types of incomes, transactions, or property and that result in reduced
tax revenue.
Minnesota Tax Handbook
The Minnesota Tax Handbook contains a summary
of the state and local tax system in Minnesota. It contains a profile of each state tax
including tax base, rates, collection amounts, and legislative history. The second section profiles each local tax in
a similar manner. The last section
contains summary tables of state and local tax collections.
Legislative Tools
Tracking Sheets
Each legislative session,
House Fiscal Analysis creates tracking sheets that record executive and
legislative budget decisions. Tracking
sheets are available for each finance committee.
Fiscal Notes
A fiscal
note estimates the financial impact of proposed legislation.
The Office of Management & Budget maintains and oversees the
fiscal note system. Fiscal notes are prepared with input from state
agency staff.
Fiscal notes for tax bills (also called Revenue Analyses) are prepared
by the Department of Revenue.
Web Sites
Minnesota Budget Project
Minnesota Office
of Management & Budget
Minnesota Department of Revenue
Minnesota House of Representatives Fiscal Analysis Department
Minnesota
Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis Office
Updated June 2009
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