Minnesota’s Legislature adjourned Monday without finishing a state budget, forcing the work into overtime and leaving some nagging issues to resolve.
Tim Walz to call a special session, but he indicated he’ll wait until a fully formed budget is ready for votes.
There was less than 10 percent of the next $66 billion-plus two-year budget completed before the session ended.
Walz urged lawmakers to keep moving budget bills.
GOP leaders said that efforts to impact budget bills weren’t part of the global framework but should still get aired in the event they could pick up bipartisan backing.
After failing to complete a state budget, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned on Monday, pushing the work into overtime and leaving some unresolved issues.
Immediately after 10 p.m. A. The Senate changed some election laws, added anti-fraud procedures, and funded multiple agencies. It then passed a bill to complete the larger state budget.
Not far behind, the politically tied House passed the agency funding bill, debated the bill to establish an Office of Inspector General, failed, and then signed out at approximately 11:45 p.m. M.
Gov. will have to decide. Tim Walz said he would wait until a finalized budget was prepared for voting before calling a special session. Before the session ended, less than 10% of the upcoming two-year budget, which is expected to total over $66 billion, had been completed.
Walz urged legislators to continue advancing budget provisions.
After June 1st, Walz stated, “We will have to begin examining what it would look like if you shut down, which entails sending out the notices of layoffs and other things like that.”. “I would just argue with all the time we’ve had to do this, and that is not without a cost. The next few days will give us plenty of time to complete this. “.”.
Late last week, the framework for a session finish was finally presented; however, it left many gaps and sparked opposition, which the deal’s architects have had to overcome.
There will be working groups, Democratic Senate majority leader Erin Murphy informed her colleagues.
“To complete the number of bills that need to be finished in the negotiation before we can come back here in a special session and pass them,” she said, those panels would continue. “”.
Walz and the majority of House and Senate leaders (with the exception of the Republican Senate leader) signed a sheet outlining the plan for those working groups, which stated that they are expected to meet and operate within the parameters of an earlier budget agreement. A 5 p has been assigned to them. A. The deadline for finishing their task is Wednesday.
Sen. Faribault Republican John Jasinski called the need for additional time “frustrating,” but he also said it’s a sign that there will be real compromise this year after Democrats have gotten most of what they wanted for the past two years.
The main issue, he said, is that the opposing side has been in complete control for the past two years and needs to understand that they must make concessions. And I believe that’s where many issues are lingering. “.”.
Earlier in the day, Murphy claimed that House Republicans’ last-minute policy requests were impeding budget bills’ progress and keeping them from leaving conference committees.
“During the next special session, GOP members want to have a say in selecting University of Minnesota regents and reopen a jobs and economy bill to change a provision about earned sick and safe time and paid family and medical leave benefits,” she said. Since it didn’t occur during the regular legislative session, Walz would currently have the authority to select those nominees.
She told reporters, “It’s frustrating and getting in the way when you come to a conclusion and negotiate and new conditions are added that slow down the budget.”. And I’m worried about Republicans’ dedication to completing this work for the people of Minnesota, as well as the fact that they’re pushing for a special session. “.
Walz and the politically split Legislature agreed on the amount of money to spend on each of the state budgets.
Although efforts to influence budget bills were not included in the global framework, GOP leaders stated that they should still be discussed if they could gain support from both parties.
“The worldwide agreement did not include that. However, if the Legislature wants to do that, it might be a part of our future plans, said House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring. “I have no plans to renounce the international agreement that was made. We signed that with good intentions. “”.
Health care is one major issue that could sabotage the outcome.
Under the leadership plan, adult undocumented immigrants’ access to MinnesotaCare health insurance would be terminated. Children could continue receiving MinnesotaCare under the agreement.
If at least one Democrat and all Republicans support the agreement, the bill might barely pass the House.
With Democrats holding a one-seat majority in the Senate and Republicans making no firm promises that they will support votes to pass any of the major budget bills, however, terminating health care for undocumented immigrants may prove to be an even greater challenge.
More moderate Democrats like Sen. are vehemently opposed to the Senate DFL, which has a strong core. Afton’s Judy Seeberger stated that they opposed terminating the coverage, which was a DFL initiative that was only approved a few years prior.
“I think that people without documentation should have the same access to health care as everyone else,” Seeberger stated. So no, that is not something I endorse at all. “.”.
The rocky conclusion serves as a fitting capstone to a session in which not much has gone as planned this year.
It’s been difficult all year, starting with a tied Senate because of the death of a senator and ending with a tied House that began to debate issues weeks into the year. This year, a senator also resigned following his arrest and charges related to a prostitution sting.
It’s the closest split in history, with 100 Republicans and 101 Democrats in total.
Murphy, the leader of the Senate, has a lot of work ahead of her. A deal she signed her name to has led to a revolt in her caucus.
Whether he or other Republicans will cast the votes required to pass bills in jeopardy was not made clear by Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson on Monday.
Johnson described his talks with Murphy as “very good and very respectful,” adding that “we’ve all got to represent different caucuses, so trying to figure out how this puzzle fits together is a big chore.”. “.”.
Demuth also has a difficult task.
Because of the tie in the House, bipartisan support is required for everything to pass.
As lawmakers arrived at what they believed to be the end, the question now is whether and when they can overcome the remaining challenges. Then they can make their way home.
The next regular session of the Legislature is set for February. 17. .
