Minnesota budget agency rules worker raises won't be delayed

State employees in Minnesota will see promised pay raises after the state’s budget agency ruled that legislators don’t have the authority to modify them.

The ruling from Minnesota Management and Budget came after Senate Republicans voted to postpone to next year a 2.5% pay raise that was due in July.

Senate approves state employee raises contingent on future budget surplus

Republicans argued that the contracts should be renegotiated because the state faces huge revenue losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The budget agency's legal review determined that the Senate's vote to approve the contracts with raises postponed amounted to approval.

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka called the move a “cavalier decision” by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.