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Minnesota House of Representatives

Week in Review: April 21-25

By Lisa Kaczke
Gov. Tim Walz shakes the hand of House Speaker Lisa Demuth following his State of the State Address to a joint session of the Legislature April 23 in the House Chamber. (Photo by Michele Jokinen)
Gov. Tim Walz shakes the hand of House Speaker Lisa Demuth following his State of the State Address to a joint session of the Legislature April 23 in the House Chamber. (Photo by Michele Jokinen)

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.
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Recent Dailies

Legislation proposes state policies on large data centers
By Rob Hubbard
Annie Levenson-Falk, executive director of Citizens Utility Board, testifies regarding HF2928 before the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee April 1. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Patty Acomb. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) The data centers are coming. Granted, many of these buildings used to house the technological equipment required to run the internet are already here. But some of the larges...
Omnibus state government bill aims to tighten reins on fraudulent spending
By Mike Cook
(House Photography file photo) Going after fraudulent behavior through withholding payments and added whistleblower protection are key aspects of the omnibus state government policy bill. The proposal wou...
Workforce committee considers funding boost to youth employment programs
By Margaret Stevens
Aiden John Grabau recounts his experience as a Minnesota Youth Program participant with the House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee April 1. Sponsored by Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura, HF2039 would provide $4.5 million for the program. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) Advocating for increased spending for youth employment programs, Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura (DFL-Mpls) speaks from firsthand experience. As a high school intern in Minneapoli...
Conversions from commercial to housing in Minneapolis, St. Paul could get a boost from TIF
By Rob Hubbard
Tax increment financing is kind of like borrowing from the future. Cities can create “TIF districts” to help finance the redevelopment of a blighted section of town, diverting f...
House committee weighs ban on pet shops selling cats, dogs
By Lisa Kaczke
Megan Helling tells the House commerce committee about her negative experience after she bought a puppy from a metro area pet store. Sponsored by Rep. Matt Norris, HF2627 would prohibit pet shops from selling cats and dogs, with exceptions for established pet shops who meet certain requirements. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) Just three pet stores in Minnesota sell cats and dogs. As the pet store industry moves away from selling four-legged friends, Rep. Matt Norris (DFL-Blaine) wants to end thos...
Bill proposes fines, state teams to fix mental health assessment delays
By Todd Abeln
To get the mental health services needed many times an assessment is required. However, a requirement timeline to get one is often not met. According to the Department of Hu...
Tribute to House’s longest-serving female member proposed with grant program name change
By Brian Basham
The late Rep. Mary Murphy reads from a children's book in the House Chamber in May 2022. (House Photography file photo) Rep. Mary Murphy was the longest serving woman in the history of the House. Representing her district near Duluth from 1977 to 2023, the DFLer from Hermantown championed the...
House leaders release committee budget targets
By Mike Cook
House Photography file photo With all session committee deadlines less than two weeks away, House leaders announced an agreement Saturday on committee finance targets while crafting a spending plan for...
Week in Review March 24-28
By Lisa Kaczke
The House Chamber slowly empties following a March 27 floor session. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) With little fanfare happening on the House Floor this week, the focus was on committees as the first two deadlines to approve bills looms next week. The House Education Fina...
Panel hears governor’s proposal to cut $685 million from education budget over next four years
By Brian Basham
(House Photography file photo) Cuts in education spending may be inevitable in the coming years as Minnesota faces a projected nearly $6 billion budget deficit in the 2028-29 biennium. Education Commissio...
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Priority Dailies

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...

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