Dayton Wants Big Chunk Of $1B Surplus For Child Care Credit

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Gov. Mark Dayton says he'll suggest devoting about one-fifth of Minnesota's projected $1 billion surplus to an expanded child-care tax credit.

Dayton will submit a two-year budget to lawmakers later this month but so far has said little about its contents. He told reporters Friday that he'll propose a $180 million tax break in the form of the care credit.

If structured similar to one pitched last year, his plan would provide credits for day care expenses to thousands more households.

A Dayton spokesman said details about the plan would come out with the full budget.

Currently, about 36,000 families below a certain income level receive the credit.

Depending on a family's number of children in day care, the credit can mean hundreds or thousands of dollars in annual savings.