State Budget

The Minnesota State budget is going to go through some significant changes within this fiscal year and into the future. Join our panel to hear directly from experts who have experience crafting our state budget in deficit years.

Confirmed Panelists:

Senator Richard Cohen

Senator Richard "Dick" Cohen was first elected to the Minnesota Legislature in 1976. He was a member of the Minnesota House until 1987 when he was elected to the Senate. Cohen was chair of the Senate Finance Committee from 2003 to 2011 and chair of the Senate State Government Finance Committee from 1997 to 2001.

Senator Cohen earned his B.A. from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul.

Former Representative Ann Lenczewski

A highly-regarded leader in Minnesota politics for more than twenty years, Ann T. Lenczewski served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1999 to 2015 and chaired the House Tax Committee. Before being elected to the Legislature, she served on the Bloomington City Council. She currently works in Governement Relations for Lockridge Grindal Nauen.

Ms. Lenczewski is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict and completed graduate work at Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

Former MMB Commissioner Tom Hanson

Mr Tom Hanson was Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget during the Pawlenty administration. Prior to that appointment he spent four years as the Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff. He also spent four years as the Legislative Director to the Speaker of the House under Steve Sviggum. He currently serves clients as part of the Legislative and Regulatory Practice Group at Winthrop & Weinstine.

Mr Hanson has a BA in History and Business Administration from Concordia College, and his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law.

State Economist Dr. Laura Kalambokidis

Dr. Kalambokidis is Minnesota's State Economist and the head of Economic Analysis at Minnesota Management and Budget. The Economic Analysis team forecasts Minnesota economic activity and tax revenue for the governor and legislature and serves as a resource for all Minnesotans on topics related to the Minnesota economy and state revenue forecasts. She also teaches economics and public sector finance at the University of Minnesota. Her areas of interest include Economics of Public Services, Public Finance, and Regional Economics.

Moderator Mary Lahammer

Mary Lahammer has been a program host and political reporter for Twin Cities Public Television since 1998. She has won several Emmys and numerous other awards in several states for her anchoring, reporting, producing and photography. Lahammer was named one of best Capitol reporters in America by the Washington Post, “Best TV Reporter” by Minnesota Monthly and “Best Newscaster” by City Pages Magazine.

Prior to returning to tpt (where she interned during college) she was an anchor/reporter for an ABC station in Wisconsin and NBC in North Dakota. Mary is a native Minnesotan who began attending the University of Minnesota’s Honors College at age 15, where she went on to graduate with Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude honors. She holds degrees in Journalism and Mass Communications and Constitutional Law History from the U of M.

Presenting Sponsors: Civic Eagle, Goff Public, University of St. Thomas

Corporate Sponsors: Comcast, Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Securian Financial, WSB

Contributing Sponsors: AT&T, ClearWay Minnesota, Dellwood Gardens, Ever-Green Energy, Messerli | Kramer, Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures, Minnesota Public Radio, Platinum Bank

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Public Affairs Series - Minnesota State Budget: Saying Goodbye to the Surplus