Minnesota Legislature’s special session starts … with a proposal to potentially sidestep threat of July 1 shutdown
Lawmakers also announced Monday that they have agreed on a three-phase eviction moratorium “off-ramp.”
State Government
Latest tax collection report reveals the state of Minnesota is pretty much rolling in cash
Year-to-date tax receipts are now $2.170 billion more than projected just four months ago.
Many police departments in Greater Minnesota don’t have body cameras. A legislative proposal looks to change that.
Though more law enforcement agencies have adopted the use of body cameras in the last few years, there are still a “significant amount” of departments in the state that don’t use them due to cost concerns.
How the Minnesota Legislature’s ‘Bakkassoni’ caucus voted on key issues this year
A look at where two newly minted independents in the Minnesota Senate — Tom Bakk and David Tomassoni — ended up on key issues.
Why some seemingly popular issues never come up for a vote at the Minnesota Legislature
Looking at you, liquor law liberalization.
Where things stand at the Minnesota Legislature, one week out from a special session
The Minnesota Legislature is expected to reconvene on June 14 in order to pass a budget. Will that goal mean anything more than all the other deadlines lawmakers have already blown this year?
Is a state government shutdown looming in Minnesota? Naaaaah.
It’s not only that state leaders have all said they want to avoid a shutdown. It’s also that nobody is threatening to hold up the budget unless their top issues are adopted.
Budget deal includes several provisions left out of ‘global’ agreement signed by Walz, legislative leaders
The side deals including additional tax cuts and funding to help Minneapolis and St. Paul businesses.
Minnesota lawmakers agree to spend $70 million on improving broadband access across the state
The funding would be the largest infusion of money into the program since it began. And it’s possible lawmakers could spend even more.
Northern Minnesota counties could be on the hook for millions after state’s latest move in Enbridge property tax saga
Officials say the only thing that could keep some local governments in the 13 affected counties out of bankruptcy is the Legislature.
A state government shutdown in Minnesota this year wouldn’t just be pretty bad. It would be very, very, very bad.
How a four-year-old state Supreme Court decision has changed the nature of budget negotiations at the Minnesota Legislature.
A bonding bill may come down, once again, to Minnesota House Republicans
House Republicans say they’re open to a smaller bonding bill focused on “critical infrastructure,” but they also aren’t ruling out holding up a bonding bill to try and force the DFL to bend on other issues.
Six takeaways from the Minnesota Legislature’s 2021 regular session
From the role of federal stimulus money to the sidelining of once hot-button issues, what we know (or think we know) about the just-completed session.
‘We are at a standstill’: Lawmakers at impasse over how — and when — to end Minnesota’s eviction moratorium
What has been dubbed an “off-ramp” is supposed to smooth the process for those with unpaid rent accumulated during the pandemic.
Rollout of Minnesota’s rental assistance program beset by glitches, slow payments
State Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho said Thursday there are 18,000 pending applications, and predicted that half a million dollars in payments will be sent out this week.
In a session with few big legislative achievements, Minnesota lawmakers pass a ‘significant’ energy conservation bill
The legislation updates Minnesota’s Conservation Improvement Program, which requires utilities to cut energy consumption in the name of efficiency, savings and addressing climate change.
What Monday’s $52 billion budget deal does — and doesn’t — mean for Minnesota
Under the state Constitution, the Legislature’s regular session had to end Monday at Midnight. With a broad spending deal now in place, lawmakers will spend the next several weeks working out the details to meet another constitutional requirement: actually passing a two-year balanced budget before July 1.
Legislature agrees to deal on exempting unemployment, PPP payments from Minnesota taxes
Taxpayers still need to file by the Monday, May 17 deadline. But the Department of Revenue will later be able to refund any payments affected by the Legislature’s changes.
How new guidance on how Minnesota can spend ARP money could affect the Legislature’s budget negotiations
More than two-thirds of the $2.8 billion going directly to Minnesota under the massive COVID relief bill can be used to cover lost revenue, which could free the money from being governed by the strict spending restrictions in the federal law.
How far are GOP legislators willing to go to stop Walz’s ‘Clean Cars’ rules?
While Republicans have walked back from their demand that the state kill the new auto emissions standards, they now insist that a two-year delay in implementing them is key to any budget deal.
