STATE BUDGET FORECAST SHOWS CURRENT $2.5-BILLION SURPLUS, DEFICIT IN 2028-29

State officials are predicting a surplus of nearly $2.5-billion in the current biennium and a $2.96-billion deficit for the 2028-29 budget.  The Minnesota Management and Budget Office says a better-than-expected fiscal year close and higher near-term revenue collections, partially offset by increased spending estimates, result in a projected surplus.  But higher health care costs and slow economic growth drive an increased structural imbalance in a couple of years.