One of Minnesota's largest religious advocacy groups is giving the governor's state budget initial good reviews. But it says the document released earlier today is not completely without painful cuts to programs that benefit the needy.
Brian Rusche, executive director of the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition, an interfaith advocacy group, noted that Dayton outlined $775 million in cuts for health and welfare programs. He estimated some 7,200 people could lose their MinnesotaCare coverage, a state-subsidized health care plan for the working poor, who pay premiums on a sliding scale.
Rusche added, however, the cuts could have been much worse, and he's encouraged to see Dayton's proposed tax increase to help cover the $6.2 billion budget deficit.
The 40-year-old, influential coalition represents all the state's major religious faiths: the Minnesota Catholic Conference, Minnesota Council of Churches, Islamic Center of Minnesota and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
Dayton is slated to speak Thursday morning to the coalition, just prior to the group's annual Day on the Hill, where JRLC advocates lobby legislators directly on issues related to their religious missions.
