The 93rd Minnesota Legislature finished its business against a backdrop of chaos at midnight on Sunday, May 19, 2024, passing a 1430-page, 73-article omnibus bill that had been constructed earlier in the day. This massive...more
Introduction -
Despite a historic surplus, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die on Sunday, May 22 with most of their work unfinished. This result was far different from the expectations of many when the Legislature...more
On Tuesday, December 7th, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released Minnesota’s November Forecast, projecting a $7.75 billion surplus for the FY 2022-23 biennium. This is a record surplus for Minnesota.
The...more
Minnesota legislative leaders and Governor Tim Walz reached a biennial budget agreement on May 17, 2021 (with another month needed for the legislature to work out details and pass budget bills). The budget spends...more
In late February 2021, Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Management and Budget officials released Minnesota’s February Economic and Budget Forecast. The budget forecast revealed a $1.571 billion surplus for the Fiscal Year...more
Understanding the Minnesota Legislative process is crucial to tracking bills and policies as legislators draft, amend and debate them.
...more
Minnesota’s economic and budget outlook has improved since last May when the Minnesota Office of Management and Budget (MMB) projected significant budget deficits for the remainder of this biennium and the next. In a forecast...more
On July 20, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned its second special session of the summer. While there was no prior agreement between Governor Walz (DFL) and legislative leaders before this special session was called, the hope...more
The legislature convened February 11, and at the end of the month received a forecast which projected a $1.5 billion budget surplus and hopes of passing a robust capital investment bill. Senate Republicans were hoping to use...more
As expected, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released an updated budget projection this week predicting a budget deficit of $2.426 billion for the current biennium. This projection is an approximate $4 billion swing...more
With two weeks remaining in the legislative session, legislators are processing bills virtually because of COVID-19, which has drastically narrowed legislative priorities in the House and Senate. Even so, the Senate passed...more
Governor Walz announced an agreement with the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic to expand the state’s ability to test for COVID-19. The agreement is intended to significantly expand testing capacity and the...more
Coronavirus and Super Tuesday were the major focuses at the Minnesota Capitol this week. On Monday state leaders outlined their response to coronavirus....more
Legislators kept busy this week both at and away from the Capitol. Committees continued processing policy bills, staying mindful of the first policy committee deadline scheduling three weeks away. The House held an extra...more
The legislature’s second week was busy with committee hearings and press conferences where legislators announced and debated their priorities for the session. Legislators agreed to extend policy deadlines to help address the...more
The 2020 Minnesota legislative session convened on Tuesday, February 11. Committees wasted no time meeting to hear and process bills. Two new representatives were sworn in this week, as Rep. Paul Novotney (R-Elk River) and...more
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released its November Economic Budget Forecast on December 5, 2019. This forecast shows an improved economic outlook compared to the end of the 2019 legislative session and projects an...more
The end of the legislative session looms with a little over two weeks for the Minnesota Legislature to pass the state’s biennial budget. Wednesday marked the first of three leadership-imposed deadlines aimed at keeping the...more
Lawmakers returned from the Easter/Passover Break on Tuesday and immediately got to work moving omnibus finance bills off the House and Senate floor and into conference committees. Several omnibus bills were passed off the...more
This week marked the third and final committee deadline for the Minnesota Legislature, requiring committees in both the DFL-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate to act on major finance and appropriation bills....more
This week, House finance committees unveiled and passed DFL proposals to fund state government over the next biennium. Because of the lack of movement in the Senate on key House policy priorities, finance bills also became...more
Today’s second policy deadline had legislators racing throughout the week to get their bills through committee. House and Senate committees held day and evening meetings to process bills. On Wednesday, the House swore in Rep....more
A number of proposals impacting employers and employees have been winding their way through the committee process over the last month. These include Paid Family and Medical Leave (HF5), Paid Sick and Safe Time (HF11), Wage...more
Today marks the first committee deadline at the Minnesota Legislature, whereby policy bills needed to clear all policy committees in either the House or Senate to remain viable. As legislators rushed to meet deadline,...more
Governor Tim Walz signed his first two bills into law this week. The first, HF 80, authored by Rep. Mary Murphy (DFL-Hermantown) and Sen. David Senjem (R-Rochester), makes corrections to capital investments appropriated in...more