ST. PAUL - Minnesota has a projected nearly $1.9 billion budget surplus.

House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jim Knoblach of St. Cloud says he has tax relief in mind during the next legislative session.

It is evidence that Minnesotans are over taxed. It's no surprise to people that we're in one of the most over taxed states in the country. Certainly a very large share should go to some sort of tax relief for Minnesotans.

Knoblach says, if the state legislature is going to spend some of the surplus, it should go toward transportation funding. Both the House and Senate passed a transportation bill last session, but couldn't agree on a final bill.

Knoblach says he's not in favor of Governor Mark Dayton's top priority of funding pre-K education.

$665 million is automatically allocated to reserves, leaving a balance of $1.2 billion. The State Legislature left $865 million unspent after the last session.

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