Brace yourself on December 1.
That's when Minnesota Management and Budget and the state's economists will release the state's updated economic forecast. Many observers expect it will show at least a little deficit.
The forecast is the state's kick off for the next legislative session. If the deficit is small enough, it may be handled without too much pain. If it is another big one, the state may see a repeat of the wrangling that marked this year.
The good news: next year is an even numbered year, so even if lawmakers and the governor do not agree on how to fix any predicted budget problem, the state will not see a shutdown. That's because the Minnesota budget has already been set through July 1, 2013.
