Minn. House DFLers release education proposal

DFL leaders in the Minnesota House have released details of their proposal for education this year.

As expected, House DFLers are proposing schools get the same amount of state funding next fiscal year as they're getting this current year.

The plan is the latest in a series of dueling education proposals at the Capitol that are playing out as a kind of 'Three Bears' scenario. The Senate education bill cuts funding for schools, the governor's proposal increases funding and the House version keeps funding flat.

In the coming weeks, negotiators will have to find a compromise to pass both the House and Senate bills again, and get the governor's signature.

DFL Representative Mindy Greiling was pushing for big spending increases at the beginning of the session, but that was before new budget forecasts came out.

"I think we have to balance the budget before we do anything else, and that's the first call on the public dollar," Greiling said.

Greiling was pushing for funding boosts earlier this year in a plan called the 'New Minnesota Miracle.' But she said that's no longer possible.

"I myself would raise taxes more, but I see the bulk of the legislators won't do that with the governor we have," Greiling said. "And so, when you have this large of a deficit and you have this governor, you can't start the new Minnesota Miracle."

The state's budget deficit is currently estimated at $4.6 billion.