State lawmakers begin building budget next week, virtually

It will be the first time lawmakers are coming together to form a budget virtually because of the pandemic.

Next week minnesota state lawmakers will reconvene for their first session of 2021.

Kimt news three's anthony monzon joins us live with what lawmakers are calling their top priority.

Anthony?

Xxx well katie... every post?

"* election year... state lawmakers are tasked with coming together and creating a new two?

"*year budget.

Now next tuesday marks the first step in that process... but this year negotiations will happen in a way they never have before.

The legislature will be building its budget virtually ... and that's just one impact coronavirus is having on the process.

Another... is uncertainty caused by economic forecasts this year showing starkly different outlooks on minnesota's financial status.

State representative tina liebling says at this juncture it's hard to predict what minnesota's budget will look like... but there is bipartisan momentum in the legislature after both parties were able to agree on a state?*- level aid package earlier this "we're going to try to focus our efforts, talk to our counterparts early.

I feel very fortunate because i have a good relationship with my republican counterpart in the senate, and she and i have talked, and there are some shared priorities that we know we're going to be working on this session."

And of course the counterpart liebling mentioned is state senator carla nelson.

As far as next steps in the budget process... liebling says there is a lot of table setting to be done... bringing new lawmakers up to speed... but both parties will know more about what they'd like to see in the budget after the state's next economic forecast is released in february.

Live in rochester... anthony monzon... thank you anthony.

State lawmakers will have to come to an agreement on minnesota's next budget before the legislative session