In November, voters gave the Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL) total control of the legislature and the governor’s office for the first time in nearly a decade, which included flipping the Minnesota Senate by the narrowest of margins — 34-33. The result was the most consequential session in the last five decades. From the state’s budget to policy initiatives, the DFL trifecta expanded the size of state government and addressed a backlog of DFL priorities that had been blocked by divided government for nearly a decade.
The primary task of the session was setting the state’s biennial budget. With the help of a $17.5 billion surplus — which was $19 billion until inflation was included in budget and forecast estimates mid-session — the legislature adopted a budget totaling approximately $71.5 billion for the FY2024-25 biennium. The budget represents a 38% increase in spending over the current state budget of approximately $51.6 billion. To close the gap, the legislature enacted $1 billion in new general fund tax hikes, approximately $2.5 billion in new...
The Dangote Group has denied claims that its President, Aliko Dangote, is at odds with Tony Elumelu, describing the report as false, malicious and baseless. In a statement signed by its Group Chie...