Lawmakers deliver budget bills to governor's desk in one-day special session

About that talk of needing all 21 hours left in a legislative day to complete a special session?

House members were more than up to the challenge Monday. Beginning at 10 a.m., they had all but two bills passed by the end of the 2100 hour, if one wants to use military time.

With passage shortly thereafter of the tax and revisor’s bills, representatives who live in the Twin Cities metropolitan area were likely home before midnight.

And Minnesotans need not worry about a partial government shutdown July 1 with an approximately $66 billion state budget for the 2026-27 biennium a few Gov. Tim Walz signatures away from becoming law.

“I think we have proven here in the House that Democrats and Republicans can find a way to work together," House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) said after the final gavel dropped at about 10:40 p.m. "A lot of the things that were wanted or desires by both sides, Democrats and Republicans, did not happen. It was a true compromise. I don't know how we're being characterized, but I know this was successful because we were able to get the work done, not quite on time, but before a government shutdown.” 

The day began with a four-hour debate on a bill to end MinnesotaCare coverage for undocumented immigrants who are at least age 18. Then members barreled through budget bills for health, children and families; human services; commerce; environment and natural resources; K-12 education; and transportation before a break. They then came back to breeze through higher education, energy, workforce, taxes, data centers and a pair of bonding bills in a little more than three hours.

Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) said Monday’s special session was about cooperation and collaboration.

“I hope that we have more days like this next session,” she said. “I think in the end, fighting for that equal shared power made this a better session.”

Legislators are scheduled to get back together in St. Paul on Feb. 17, 2026.

Ends a trying session

The passage of the bills Monday caps a year that started with a power struggle and ended with missed deadlines that necessitated the sixth time in eight budget-setting years the Legislature needed overtime to finish its work.

In November, voters sent 67 members from each party to the House. Then a DFL winner in Shoreview was found to not live in his district. Republicans tried to take control of the chamber with a 67-66 advantage before a special election could occur.

With 67 Republicans present and zero DFL members on Jan. 14, Secretary of State Steve Simon, acting as presiding officer, ruled a quorum was not present. Arguing that 67 is a quorum because there were only 133 House members — the District 40B seat was vacant — Republican members went ahead and selected Demuth as speaker.

Committee hearings took place with only Republicans present, as DFL members stayed away from the Capitol.

But the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Jan. 24 that 68 members constitutes a quorum, the minimum number of members who must be present to conduct business.

The judgment ended a dispute that dated back to the first day of the legislative session. In essence, the court decision voided any work done to that point.

A power-sharing agreement was announced 12 days later, including co-committee chairs and vice chairs, and the unique 2025 legislative session was underway.

— Session Daily writers Todd Abeln and Brian Basham contributed to this story