All you need is five numbers and a mega millions multiplier!
Democrats in both the House and Senate are ripping their Republican counterparts for booking budget savings that is either unrealistic or may never materialize. There are federal waivers booked that saves as much as $650 million. There are tax compliance initiatives that book $36 million dollars more than budget analysts are predicting they can actually recoup. Gov. Dayton called such savings as "Fantasy Island." MPR did a story on this a few days ago.
Now, an amendment that will be proposed to the House Health and Human Services Finance bill takes the entire budget savings to a whole new level:
Sec. 12. SAVINGS FROM LOTTERY WINNINGS.
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"The commissioner of human services shall purchase a Mega Millions lottery ticket, using existing resources. The commissioner of management and budget shall book a savings of $304,000,000 from implementation of this section."
You have to play to win!
Update: DFL Rep. Tina Liebling authored the amendment.
"Purchasing a Mega Millions lottery ticket is just as reliable as the budget proposals put forth by the Republicans. It's a nice dream but you can't take it to the bank," Liebling said in a statement.