Minnesota lawmakers plan to solidify court’s rejection of abortion restrictions, limit state data reporting
Democrats who control the Legislature also plan to cut grant funding for pregnancy centers advocating against abortion.
Politics & Policy
DFL transportation deal includes tying gas tax to inflation, adding new 50-cent delivery fee, metro sales tax
Taken together, the transportation tax and fee increases would raise an additional $1.48 billion for roads, bridges, transit and other transportation needs in the next two years.
Why lawmakers finally reached a deal on ‘bonding.’ And what it means for infrastructure in Greater Minnesota
That means significantly more money will be available for upgrades to things like water treatment plants, college buildings, roads, bridges, parks, trails, police departments, ice arenas and more, and the deal ensures the infrastructure plan is spread more evenly across Minnesota.
Minnesota Legislature passes energy bill with $2,500 EV rebates, ‘pre-weatherization’
The spending follows two other consequential energy bills adopted earlier in the legislative session: a law requiring a carbon-free electric grid by 2040 and a $115 million fund to match federal dollars for climate and energy projects in Minnesota.
GILTI pleasure? DFL tax plan opts for new business taxes that could be less problematic than worldwide combined reporting
Worldwide combined reporting would have required corporations with foreign subsidiaries who owe income taxes to the state to include earnings of overseas subsidiaries.
Will ‘historic’ tax cuts do enough to help Minnesotans? Lawmakers at odds over tax rebate checks vs. spending on priorities
DFLers in control of the Legislature say the “historic” tax package passed this week will make life more affordable for many Minnesotans. Republicans say the tax cuts are meager.
Dean Phillips would vote to save McCarthy’s speakership if the Speaker exercises ‘courage’ in debt limit negotiations
Phillips has been leading conversations within the Democratic caucus over the debt ceiling, which must be raised as soon as June 1 to avoid a national default that would have a severe impact on the economy.
Minnesota’s soon-to-be law allowing recreational marijuana, explained
The bill sponsors said they think they still have enough DFL votes to approve the final bill and expect some Republicans to support it.
Besides gun reforms, what’s in the big public safety package the Minnesota Senate passed
The House is expected to vote on the package on Monday, where the DFL majority has the votes to pass the spending bill and get it to Gov. Walz’s desk.
Four takeaways from the DFL’s vote to approve gun regulations
DFL lawmakers who control the Minnesota Legislature have cleared their toughest obstacle for approving two major gun regulations, paving the way for new limits on firearms to reach the desk of Gov. Tim Walz and become law.
‘So many unknowns.’ Minnesota will study PFAS in agricultural pesticides ahead of a near-ban in 2032
The possibility of pesticides spreading PFAS across Minnesota and permeating soil, water and food has captured the attention of DFLers who control the state Legislature. And it’s behind a new effort to regulate the products.
As DFL lawmakers look to end session early, could human nature get in the way?
It would seem that DFL control of the House, Senate and governor’s office would improve chances for an early finish. But as one longtime observer points out, “Nobody fights like family.”
For Native women in power in Minnesota, confronting the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people is personal
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, said that more attention to the issue was sparked when Native women won election to decision-making roles.
DFL is ‘darn close’ on gun bills, teeing up crucial vote on red flag law, more background checks
Both were priorities of DFL leaders including Gov. Tim Walz, and Democrats hold narrow majorities in the House and Senate. Republicans appear united in opposition, so all DFL senators would need to support the measures. It’s been unclear for months if the party has enough votes.
Legal marijuana is more potent than ever, and consumer protections in states are spotty
Although decades ago the THC content of weed was commonly less than 1.5%, some products on the market today are more than 90% THC.
Minnesota legislative ‘big, big deal’ spends $1B on affordable housing, adds metro sales tax
The tax hike, which would raise $200 million a year for housing projects and programs in the seven-county area, is part of a $1 billion investment in affordability that sponsors and advocates are calling historic. It would be the first-ever tax dedicated to affordable housing.
In effort to curb chronic wasting disease, DFL lawmakers agree to ban new deer farms
Legislators agreed to a moratorium last week as they hashed out differences between major environmental bills passed earlier this year by the House and Senate.
Hopes for legalized sports betting in Minnesota appear dashed again over tribes-tracks conflict
With two DFL senators opposed to legalized sports betting, sponsors have tried to get a few Republicans on board. It’s a tough sell without support from the horse racing tracks.
Walz, state lawmakers look to transform how Minnesota kids are taught to read
The governor has cited disturbing test scores — 58% reading proficiency for white students in Minnesota, with a 30-percentage-point disparity between white students and some racial groups — in arguing that the state must transform reading curricula used in Minnesota schools.
Lawmakers nix plan to use more lottery money on fund for Minnesota environmental projects
Using more lottery money would mean less cash to use on other priorities. A DFL legislator said her leadership couldn’t agree where that additional money would come from.
