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
COVID-19 defined the 2021 regular session of the Minnesota Legislature. When it convened on January 5, 2021, the Legislature had been meeting in special session monthly since June 2020 to consider terminating Governor Walz’s...more
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) — the recently enacted COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress and signed by President Biden — has significant impacts for Minnesota governments, businesses and individuals.
...more
The unveiling of Governor Tim Walz’s (DFL) biennial budget was the major news at the Minnesota Legislature this week. Governor Walz’s $52.4 billion proposed budget for the next biennium is an 8.5% increase over from Fiscal...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
During a series of press events over the last week, Governor Tim Walz (DFL) released his $2.028 billion capital budget proposal. Dubbed the “Local Jobs and Project Plan,” the Governor’s proposal prioritized affordable...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 91st biennial session of the Minnesota Legislature convened on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, with a newly elected DFL Governor, former Congressman Tim Walz, and the only divided Legislature in the nation. The DFL also...more
5/31/2019
/ GILTI tax ,
Health Care Providers ,
Opioid ,
Paid Leave ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Preemption ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Sales Tax ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Labor Laws ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Transportation Industry ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft
With 10 days to go until the Minnesota Legislature must adjourn, budget negotiations between Governor Walz and House and Senate leadership have stalled. In turn, the work of conference committees, who need agreed-to budget...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
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
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
The Minnesota Legislature is nearing the halfway mark of session. With the first policy deadline only two weeks away, House and Senate committees have accelerated bill hearings and have added evening meetings. On Thursday,...more
The unveiling of Governor Walz’s biennial budget dominated conversations at the Minnesota Legislature this week. Governor Walz’s first budget contains significant tax and spending proposals that were cautiously embraced by...more
This was an eventful week in Minnesota politics and at the Legislature. On Sunday, at an outdoor rally during a snowstorm on Sunday, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced her candidacy for the Democratic presidential...more
On Tuesday, January 8, the Minnesota Legislature reconvenes for its 91st biennial session. There is hope for a fresh start after last year’s contentious session where the House Republican majority clashed frequently with...more
When the Minnesota Legislature convened in February, the state had just announced a modest budget surplus. Lawmakers and Governor Mark Dayton were optimistic that they could reach agreement on a capital investment bill, a tax...more
5/29/2018
/ Budget Surplus ,
Constitutional Amendment ,
Governor Dayton ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pension Reform ,
Sales Tax ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Reform
With three weeks left of session, lawmakers have picked up the pace to get their work done. On Thursday, the Senate passed their supplemental budget bill off the Senate Floor and the House passed the education portion of...more
The Minnesota Legislature, returning from Easter/Passover break, turned its attention to assembling omnibus supplemental budgets. With the third committee deadline approaching, the Legislature has one week to assemble these...more
The Legislature wrapped up the fourth week of a 13-week session. With one week until the first committee deadline, committees in both bodies have kept busy hearing policy bills, often into the evening. Bill introductions in...more
The Minnesota Legislature, in anticipation of the first committee deadline on March 22, continued to hear and move bills through policy committees this week. Legislative committees focused on Governor Dayton’s request for $10...more
The 2018 Legislative Session kicked off last week on February 20 with the swearing in of one new member in the Senate, Karla Bigham (DFL, Cottage Grove), and one new member in the House, Jeremy Munson (R, Lake Crystal). The...more
The 2018 Legislative Session begins next week, on Tuesday, February 20. If the interim was any indication, this session is likely to be challenging and fraught with controversy.
At the end of last session, Governor Mark...more