ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s projected budget deficit has shrunk to $627 million, which is down more than 40 percent from the last estimate.

State lawmakers have just less than three months to figure out how to fix it.

The updated economic forecast released Thursday by state finance officials sets the tone for a legislative debate over a two-year budget.

The last forecast, released in December, showed a $1.1 billion deficit. That’s the one Gov. Mark Dayton used to build his budget. He will release a supplemental budget sometime in March to account for the changed projection.

The better news could prompt Dayton to scale back his proposed tax increases.

Minnesota legislators have hesitated from plunging too deeply into the budget process until receiving the new economic report.

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