Budgetary game day

The game is well underway as it is every biennium. A sitting governor has proposed a budget. Legislative leaders are shocked by it. The numbers change. The majority party changes. The game never changes.

So how close to reality are proposed budgets? There’s no equation but a quick examination of the general state spending budgets for the last 10 years shows they’re usually in the “ballpark.”

Bieninum Proposed by governor Actual general spending
2000-2001 (Ventura) $25 billion $23.4 billion
2002-2003 (Ventura) $27.3 billion $26.6 billion
2004-2005 (Pawlenty) $28.1 billion $28.1 billion*
2006-2007 (Pawlenty) $30 billion $31.4 billion *
2008-2009 (Pawlenty) $34.4 billion $32.2 billion **
2010-2011 (Pawlenty) $33.6 billion $30.2 billion***
2012-2013 (Dayton) $37.1 billion

* Based on end-of-session forecast expenditures

** Based on February revenue forecast

*** Based on November forecast

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