After meeting with legislative leaders, Governor Dayton announced yesterday that he is abandoning his efforts to forge an agreement on an agenda for a special legislative session. There appears to be general agreement on the two primary topics for the special session, an Omnibus Tax Bill the Governor had vetoed after the regular session and a Capital Bonding Bill which failed to pass during the regular session. However, House Speaker Kurt Daudt refused to consider legislation funding the Southwest Light Rail Line and Governor Dayton proclaimed there would not be a special session without funding for that project.
With all the members of the House and the Senate up for election this year, it has become increasingly difficult to focus legislative attention as the November elections approach. Governor Dayton and leaders left open the door to passing the tax and bonding bills early in the 2017 session. However, the outcome of the legislative elections will certainly dictate the 2017 legislative agenda. While passage of a bonding bill early in the session may be possible, it is less likely that agreement can be reached around a tax bill early in the session.