Sen. John Marty Looks for State to Get Budget in Order

As the Minnesota Legislature kicked off its 2013 session Tuesday, Sen. John Marty said the key priority is getting the state's finances in order. 

"I'm hopeful that the new Legislature will tackle the budget," said Marty, DFL-Roseville. "It has not been handled well in recent years."

Currently, the state owes some $3 billion to Minnesota schools because of shifts in delaying payments to school districts. In recent years, the Legislature has delayed full aid payments to school districts in order to help the state deal with budget deficits.

"I think people understand that short-term budget solutions are not good, like the shift in" school funding, Marty told Roseville Patch. Dealing with the state budget "will be the single biggest thing this year."