 Minnesota officials are forecasting that the state will have a 1.5 billion dollar surplus for the next two-year budget period. The forecast released Thursday by Minnesota management and budget sets the stage for the debate over taxes and spending in the 2019 legislative session. The surplus gives Governor-elect Tim Walz and the legislature more room for new spending initiatives, tax cuts, or some combination of both. GOP officials are taking credit for the projected surplus by the projected surplus, I should say. Republicans say that there is no need to raise taxes and that they will consider more tax relief in light of the projected surplus. Senate Majority Leader Paul Guzelka says the state does not need to increase taxes to fund Minnesota's priorities in 2018-2019, and that more should be done to make sure families can keep their hard-earned money. Minnesota Governor-elect Tim Walz gave few specifics about what he plans to do in terms of new spending or changing tax laws. He says his priorities will be education, health care, and support for local communities. Walz says the projected surplus shows a legacy of fiscal responsibility under outgoing Governor Mark Dayton. And Dayton says the surplus contrasts with the shambles he faced when he took office nearly eight years ago, when he faced a 6.2 billion dollar deficit. Dayton says the main reason for the turnaround is that Minnesota employers have added over 318,000 jobs in the past eight years, and unemployment dropped from 6.9 percent back then to 2.8 percent today.