Listen Story audio 4min 42sec Minnesota State CapitolNikki Tundel | MPR News 2006

Minnesota House Republicans recently unveiled a budget plan featuring a $2 billion tax cut and more education and transportation spending. To balance it, they proposed slashing health and human services.

Their plan will face scrutiny this week as the Legislature returns from its Easter/Passover break, but it's already unnerved some health care advocates. They worry a $1.1 billion cut to human services could harm many needy Minnesotans at time when the state projects a $2 billion surplus.

Some see the GOP's plan as a negotiating tactic as Republican leaders prepare for budget talks with Senate Democrats and Gov. Mark Dayton. Key Republican leaders, though, are signaling that it's no ploy and that cuts need to happen.

"We have a long history going back many years ... of the health and human services area growing and continually outstripping inflation," Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep. Jim Knoblach, R-St. Cloud, said during a recent hearing.

Higher education and other needs have suffered, he added, "because health and human services gets a larger and larger share."

The GOP's budget plan does increase the health and human services budget over current spending, but it would not pay for the projected need over the next two years. The GOP's point man on the issue is saying little about exactly where the cuts would come.

"It's a very steep hill to climb. There's no two ways about it. We understand that," said Rep. Matt Dean, R-Dellwood.

Dean has given some insight into his priorities. He has proposed eliminating the current MinnesotaCare program and directing the 95,000 people in the program to buy private insurance.

He's also suggested that there are ineligible people on MinnesotaCare, Medicaid and other taxpayer subsidized programs.

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Health care advocates on edge as GOP pushes budget cuts