The legislative session is quickly coming to a close, but legislative leaders and Governor Dayton are not finished with their work. They are continuing to negotiate the state’s $46 billion budget and will need to come to a...more
The week started the way it began, with no global budget agreement and no omnibus budget bills signed into law. Leaders began meeting early in the week, exchanging offers in an attempt to compromise, but budget talks imploded...more
In response to Governor Mark Dayton’s demand that the Legislature provide a complete budget for him to analyze before starting negotiations, the House and Senate agreed to joint legislative targets and conference committees...more
With three weeks left in the legislative session, most of the week was spent on often contentious budget negotiations between the Governor and legislative leadership. Last month, Governor Dayton sent a letter to Senate...more
The Minnesota Legislature returned from its break Tuesday, April 18 with five weeks to complete their work before May 22, the constitutionally mandated adjournment date. Most of the week was spent appointing conferees for...more
The legislature heads into its spring recess today, Friday, April 7. The House and Senate have spent the last several weeks finalizing and debating their budget and tax bills. When they reconvene on April 18, 2017 they will...more
This week, the House and Senate committees have been working toward the third committee deadline of March 31, 2017. The third and final deadline requires committees to act favorably on major appropriation bills.
Many of...more
With policy committee deadlines out of the way, legislators turned their attention to omnibus finance and tax bills. Finance and tax committees in both the House and Senate spent the week compiling bills, taking public...more
Legislators and committees are racing to meet the second deadline, which occurs at midnight tonight. All policy bills must be approved by committees in both the Minnesota House and Senate by this deadline to remain viable as...more
Today marks the first committee deadline in the legislative session. By midnight tonight, bills must be approved by policy committees in the House or the Senate. Next Friday is the second committee deadline, by which all...more
With the first committee deadline rapidly approaching, policy committees worked overtime this week processing bills. There was also House floor action on two higher profile issues the Legislature is addressing this session:...more
With two weeks before the first deadline, legislators are scrambling to get their bills heard and passed through policy committees. The Legislature also met in a joint floor session to elect four new members to the University...more
The seventh week of the legislative session is in the books, and the Minnesota Legislature is one week closer to the first committee deadline on March 10. This week, House Republicans increased their majority by one with the...more
Legislative committees continued hearing proposals on issues ranging from wetland funding and palliative care to redistricting and tax benefits for retired CIA employees. House and Senate Tax Committee’s heard Governor Mark...more
Committees Transition to Processing Bills -
Legislative committees completed the pivot from background briefings to processing bills this week, working on topics ranging from how best to provide paid parental leave and...more
This was a busy week for Governor Mark Dayton. On Monday, the House of Representatives and Senate held a joint session to hear the Governor’s annual State of the State Address. The evening took a startling twist when the...more
The Minnesota Legislature had a short week, with offices closed on Monday due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. On Tuesday, legislators were back and committees continued with introductory hearings and began hearing...more
Most House and Senate committees met for the first time this past week. Hearings were spent receiving introductory briefings and listening to caucus staff, experts and agencies review the issues each committee is expected to...more
In the first week of the 2017 session, the Minnesota legislature determined leadership positions in both the House and the Senate and got to work on high-priority issues.
2017 Session Convenes -
The House and Senate...more
On January 3, 2017, not only will the 90th session of the Minnesota Legislature convene, but the Minnesota Capitol building will once again be open to the public after undergoing a three-year, $272 million comprehensive...more
With the 2017 Minnesota Legislative Session approaching, we wanted to send a quick update on the recent budget and economic forecast.
Budget Forecast
On Friday, December 2, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB)...more
This was the shortest Minnesota Legislative session in recent history, lasting a mere 77 days from March 8, 2016, to May 23, 2016. It produced a hectic pace which ended with mixed results. As lawmakers headed into the...more
When the 2016 Minnesota Legislative Session was adjourned sine die at midnight on Sunday, May 22, legislators had sent a $259 million Omnibus Tax Bill and a $182 million Supplemental Appropriations Bill to Governor Mark...more
Ten days remain before the last day of the Minnesota legislative session May 23, 2016. Governor Mark Dayton, Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk and House Speaker Kurt Daudt met twice in the past week to negotiate an agreement on...more
With just over two weeks of session remaining, the window for Minnesota legislators to pass a final transportation bill, tax bill, bonding bill and supplemental budget bill is closing quickly. Conference committee members...more