At 2:00 pm this afternoon, Governor Pawlenty announced his recommendations for the unallotment process. This is a process that can be used by the Governor to cut programs, cities, counties and agencies to balance the budget.

If you remember, the Governor and Legislature did not agree on how to balance the budget during the last legislative session.

I will send along further information shortly, but here are the basics so far:

$300M reduction of local aids and credits to cities and counties
$67M reduction of refunds and other payments
$236M reduction in human services spending (hospitals inpatient services are exempt)
$100M reduction in higher education appropriations ($50M to Uof M and $50M to MNSCU
$33M reduction in most state agency operating budgets (exempt are veterans affairs, public safety, correction, military and sex offender programs.
$1.77B deferral of payments to K-12 schools
$169M in administrative actions

I am disappointed in the actions of the governor to go it alone. The legislature offered a balanced budget that would have avoided these unallotments while also positioning the state for future economic growth.

As we sort these numbers out, I will update you accordingly.

Representative Andrew Falk