Minnesota Legislature
Week in Review: April 21-25
By Lisa Kaczke
Coming back from a weeklong Easter/Passover break, work picked up in the House this week as the May 19 constitutional deadline to finish session inches closer.
The House Ways and Means Committee reviewed omnibus finance bills throughout the week. Deals were reached on several outstanding budgets, and the committee amended the vehicle bill for energy with its budget this week. The House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee amended its vehicle bill with a budget deal and that bill is now on its way to the House Ways and Means Committee for review. On Friday, legislators were still negotiating budgets for education, health and workforce.
The omnibus agriculture finance bill was the first to pass the House Thursday. The legacy and judiciary/public safety bills passed Friday, as did the omnibus public safety policy bill.
But to start the week, the House paid tribute to the late Rep. Mary Murphy that included stories about the House’s longest-serving woman at 23 terms and passed a bill to rename the library grant program in her honor.
Recent Dailies
House commerce panel begins work on omnibus cannabis bill
By Lisa Kaczke Minnesota’s cannabis laws continue to be tweaked. The House omnibus cannabis bill would remove the requirement that beverages with no more than 10 milligrams of THC be label...Proposed changes to environmental regulations help stall miners unemployment bill in committee
By Margaret Stevens
Less than two weeks ago, Cleveland-Cliffs announced temporary closures of the Minorca Mine in Virginia and Hibbing Taconite would lead to layoffs affecting nearly 600 miners.
...
Taxes committee considers governor’s sales tax changes, other proposals
By Rob Hubbard
Gov. Tim Walz wants to lower the state’s sales tax rate by 0.075%. But the lost revenue from that change would be more than made up for by new sales taxes on accounting, banking...
Ways and Means Committee OKs House budget resolution
By Mike Cook
Total net General Fund expenditures in the 2026-27 biennium will not exceed a hair less than $66.62 billion.
That is the budget resolution approved Tuesday by the House Ways...
Bill seeks $96.5 million annually to secure funding for early learning scholarships
By Todd Abeln
Early learning scholarships provide funding for children to attend a high-quality early learning program.
In an effort to keep that program alive and well, HF470 would appro...
Education policy bill tackles teacher shortages, student health
By Brian Basham
More post-secondary eligibility options for charter school students, permanently adding a substitute teacher pilot program and an expansion of allowable epinephrine delivery sys...
House public safety committee begins work on omnibus policy bill
By Tim Walker
Providing medications to incarcerated persons, privileged communications between domestic abuse advocates and victims, enhanced penalties for certain driving violations, and rel...
Legislators hear bill aiming to close racial gap in homeownership
By Margaret Stevens
Minnesota has one of the largest racial gaps in the nation when it comes to home ownership. While approximately 70% of white households own their homes, about 30% of Black house...
House environment panel considers year-round bass fishing season
By Tim Walker You might think a bill to allow a year-round fishing season for largemouth and smallmouth bass would be controversial. But all evidence from Tuesday’s House Environment and ...Residency requirement proposed for Minnesota college aid program
By Todd Abeln If you use the North Star Promise program to go to college at no cost, some lawmakers want you to be prepared to stay in Minnesota after graduation. Rep. Peggy Scott (R-Ando...Session Daily Home
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Ways and Means Committee OKs House budget resolution
By Mike Cook
Total net General Fund expenditures in the 2026-27 biennium will not exceed a hair less than $66.62 billion.
That is the budget resolution approved Tuesday by the House Ways...
Minnesota's budget outlook worsens in both near, long term
By Rob Hubbard
It looks as if those calling for less state spending could get their wish, judging from Thursday’s release of the February 2025 Budget and Economic Forecast.
A state su...
