House adopts agreed-upon budget targets for 2026-27; BUDRES02 passes

The Minnesota House of Representatives adopted a budget resolution setting general fund spending targets of $66,600,000,000 for the 2026-27 biennium, approving the resolution labeled BUDRES02 by voice vote after a presentation from nonpartisan fiscal staff.

Nonpartisan fiscal staff member Ms. Arens told members the $66.6 billion figure appears on line 1.5 of the resolution and that the document breaks that total into committee targets and other set-asides. "So it's the $66,600,000,000 number," she said while walking members through the budget resolution and an accompanying tracking document that lists committee bases and change-from-base targets.

The budget resolution lists non‑general fund accounts on page 2, including the Healthcare Access Fund, the Workforce Development Fund, the Minnesota Forward Fund and the Premium Security Plan account. According to Ms. Arens, the Minnesota Forward Fund, the Premium Security Plan account and the Workforce Development Fund are limited to planned 2026–27 spending; the Healthcare Access Fund shows a $25,000,000 increase in the health finance bill that permits the health finance committee to spend that additional amount in addition to its general fund target.

Ms. Arens illustrated the tracking document with the agriculture line: a February forecast base of $151,000,000 for 2026–27 plus a committee target increase of $17,000,000 yields a new total of $168,800,000. She said the committee totals sum to less than the $66.6 billion figure because of set-asides, including $124,000,000 set aside for a potential pensions bill, about $13,300,000 set aside for other Ways and Means bills, and an assumed cancellation amount of $87,000,000. The document shows an approximate bottom-line balance of $1,600,000,000 for the biennium.

Representative Stevenson, co-chair of the power-sharing budget negotiations, thanked staff for their work and said, "I know we still have a long road ahead of us to deliver an, enacted budget, but if the rest of session can proceed the way that, these discussions went, I think we will be in good shape." The chair also noted the unusual circumstances of a tied House and the first use of co-chairs to negotiate targets.

Representative Stevenson moved adoption of BUDRES02; the motion was taken by voice vote and the chair announced the resolution passed after members responded "aye." No opposing voices were recorded on the transcript.

The resolution and tracking document are intended to establish committee spending targets (change-from-base figures) while preserving set-aside and cancellation assumptions. Staff told members the document subtracts an inflation set-aside (noted on the tracking document) from the calculation so the stated total reflects that adjustment.

Members asked a small number of clarifying questions during the presentation. Representative Schumacher asked about rider agreements; fiscal staff said riders exist but did not provide further detail on that page of the packet. Beyond that exchange, leaders exchanged thanks to staff who prepared the targets and tracking materials.

The House did not adopt detailed bill language in BUDRES02; the resolution sets targets and allocations to guide subsequent finance committee bills and Ways and Means work.