Week in Review: May 1-5

This week brought the beginning of May, the home stretch of the legislative session and lots of hurry up and wait as conference committees work to find common ground.

Midnight on Monday will mark two weeks before the 2023 regular legislative session must end, although there have been suggestions that lawmakers may try to have their work finished before that constitutionally mandated deadline.

In either case, time is short for all that remains to be done. But hang in there. Three weeks from Monday is Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer.

Have a good weekend and here’s a look back at what happened over the past week.

AGRICULTURE
Seed money for grain indemnity fund included in House, Senate bills as omnibus conference meets

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17963

BUSINESS AND COMMERCE

Commerce conference committee strikes agreement, finishes work

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17982

Commerce conference committee begins work, finds ‘broad agreement’

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17978

EDUCATION
Early education conferees compare House, Senate bills

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17965

Conferees commence work on omnibus education bill

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17961

EMPLOYMENT

House passes paid family and medical leave bill

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17974

House passes omnibus labor policy bill likely destined for conference committee

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17971

Omnibus jobs conference committee starts work on reconciling a $70 million appropriations gap between House, Senate versions

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17968

Proposal to help more Minnesotans retire with greater financial cushion passes House

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17962

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Constitutional amendment reauthorizing MN lottery money for the environment could be on 2024 ballot

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17981

House, Senate reach agreement on Legacy budget that includes Hmong cultural preservation

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17980

Environment, energy conferees discuss differences in House and Senate bills

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17967

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Conference committee embarks on path to finalized state health budget

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17975

Total spending, subminimum wage measure among items left to be sorted out as human services conferees begin work

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17973

HIGHER EDUCATION

Tuition free or frozen? Higher ed conference committee launches discussion

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17976

Lawmakers choose three new University of Minnesota regents

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17970

HOUSING

House, Senate differ on sales tax hike to fund housing aid as conference committee kicks off negotiations

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17972

MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS

Conferees reach agreement on omnibus veterans, military affairs bill

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17960

PUBLIC SAFETY

House passes bill to help stanch rise in retirements among Minnesota first responders due to PTSD

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17969

Judiciary, public safety conference committee touts ‘historic investments’ to keep Minnesotans safe

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17964

STATE GOVERNMENT

House, Senate negotiators begin work on reconciling state government and elections bill

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17966

TAXES

Taxes conference committee begins to hash out its differences

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17979

TRANSPORTATION
Delivery fee, metro sales tax rate represent $350 million difference between omnibus transportation bills

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/17977