Current Agenda

The last few years have highlighted the need for stronger investment in the things that Minnesotans, their families, and communities need to thrive. And Minnesotans have called for greater urgency in taking down the obstacles to opportunity faced by communities of color, lower-income Minnesotans, and folks living in areas with less access to opportunity.

Given that the State of Minnesota is projected to have more resources than previously expected, policymakers have an historic opportunity to make transformational changes to build a more equitable future in which all Minnesotans are healthy, safe, and economically secure.

But we won’t be able to make these essential investments if policymakers spend billions of dollars on tax cuts for those who are already doing well.

In 2023, the Minnesota Budget Project is focusing our budget and economic policy advocacy on what’s needed so Minnesotans can take care of themselves and their families, and fully participate in the workforce, such as:

Expanding access to affordable child care, especially though the Child Care Assistance Program;
Filling in gaps in affordable health care coverage through Medicaid and MinnesotaCare;
Ensuring all Minnesotans can gain a driver's license, regardless of their immigration status; and
Expanding access to paid sick time and Paid Family and Medical Leave.

Our tax priorities this session seek to make our tax system more fair and sustainable, and unleash the power of the tax code to build a more equitable economy. Our priorities include:

Creating a Child Tax Credit built on the federal expanded CTC’s historic impact on reducing child poverty and improving family well-being;
Expanding the state’s Working Family Tax Credit to boost the incomes of lower-income workers and families;
Expanding the Renters’ Credit, the state’s property tax refund for renters, and simplifying the process for applying; and
Keeping Minnesota’s targeted approach to taxation of Social Security benefits because expanding our state’s income tax exemption would be costly and provide the biggest tax cuts to the highest-income households.