It can't have been easy for Gov. Tim Walz to build a state budget, given his background in the United States Congress.
Congress hasn't balanced a budget in nearly two decades, whereas Minnesota law requires Walz has to submit one as governor. And budget impresarios will be looking to see that his budget balances for the next four years — not just the next two — a customary practice instituted by former Gov. Arne Carlson in the 1990s.
Walz also made a lot of spending promises on the campaign trail: two years of free college, universal prekindergarten, smaller class sizes, more local government aid.
So it was a little surprising that Walz's budget, after he announced some revisions last week, retains $562 million in surplus.
Republicans argue the extra money should be returned to taxpayers. Setting aside the policy debate, I'd submit that running surpluses — as Minnesota DFL governors have done for years — is smart politics.
"It resonates with the public because everyone thinks they should build up some kind of cushion if they're able to, to protect from bad times," said state Sen. Richard Cohen, D-St. Paul.
As the party that wants an activist government, Democrats have the most to gain from building up public trust that comes from surpluses, strong bond ratings and other indications of sound fiscal practices.
Consider Illinois, a Democratic state with the worst credit rating among the 50 states, "a notch or two above the junk level," according to Reuters. Meanwhile, according to a 2016 Gallup poll, Illinois residents have less confidence in their government than any state in the country. Hard to imagine this is a coincidence.