Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The Minnesota Budget Project

In the 2009 Legislative Session, the Minnesota Legislature will pass the state's biennial budget, which funds everything from environmental protection to public safety to health care. But the process for crafting that budget began this past summer. Because advocates, community leaders, front-line staff, and members of the public would benefit from understanding how the state's budget process works and how to participate in that process on behalf of the programs they care about, a workshop was organized in St. Cloud and held at the Stearns History Museum on August 14.

The workshop was led by Nan Madden, Director of the Minnesota Budget Project and covered the following points:

· The basics of the Minnesota state budget
· The timeline for the state's budget process
· How the Governor's budget proposal is developed
· How the budget travels through the legislature
· Opportunities for input and advocacy in he budget process

The workshop was very well received but also overwhelming. For information on the Minnesota Budget Project and current legislation impacting the budget, go to the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits website under “Minnesota Budget Project” or use the direct link: www.mncn.org/bp/index.htm.

Posted by Kathy Grochow, NRS, St. Cloud

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