We're just a little over a month from the end of this year's legislative session and the major topic this year is the state's budget.
That's because right now the state is still facing a 5–billion dollar deficit.
It's the thought on all the lawmakers' minds as well as many Minnesotans: How will the state fix its 5 billion dollar shortfall?
Governor Dayton has released his ideas and he's met by opposition from the Republican party.
Either way, it needs to be resolved and these next few weeks of the session are the time to expect progress.
"A resolution of the differences between the Senate legislative budget and the House legislative budget. They have to reconcile the differences between them," said Democratic Senator Kathy Sheran.
Both Republicans and Democrats agree there needs to be cuts, but where those cuts will be and how much are the differences.
And now is the time to figure that out.
"The question now becomes: how much will be cut? Because everybody agrees cuts need to be made. And will the top five percent earners be asked to contribute just like college students and those with disabilities and renters and everybody else will be contributing to the solution," said Democratic Representative Terry Morrow.
The House and Senate Finance Bills are done, but there's still some work to do.
And here's the real kicker: will the legislature vote to raise income taxes on the top 5 percent highest earners in the state, which very few live in our area, or will they say no to Governor Dayton's request.
"We'll say no tax increases and it'll go back and forth and I think there'll be negotiating, a lot of it going on, but I think the Governor will have to swallow the pill that there's not going to be taxes and find some other way to balance the budget," said Republican Representative Tony Cornish.
No matter what is decided in these upcoming weeks, there's going to need to be a lot of reaching across the aisle.
All so the state can solve its financial woes and finish the session on time.
The state House and Senate will be back at work Monday, but they must finish by three o'clock and then they're off for the next week for the Easter and Passover break.
