The Minnesota Legislature had a short week, with no official business on Friday due to their Easter recess. The legislature will return on Tuesday, March 29, at noon. This week, committees continued to hear budget details...more
The second year of the 89th Session of the Minnesota Legislature convenes on March 8, 2016. This year’s session is unusually late and will last an atypically short 11 weeks.
The February Forecast released today projects...more
Minnesota's November budget and economic forecast was released on December 3, 2015, showing a projected $1.9 billion budget surplus for the remainder of the FY 2016-2017 biennium. This is $1 billion above the budget surplus...more
After 10 years of budget deficits, the Minnesota Legislature convened in January to set the state’s biennial budget with a projected $1.9 billion surplus. This surplus spurred hope of an orderly session and predictions of tax...more
5/31/2015
/ Bonds ,
Budget Surplus ,
Chemicals ,
Children's Products ,
Dentists ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug & Alcohol Abuse ,
Governor Dayton ,
Infrastructure ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pollinators ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Cuts ,
Tax Reform ,
Wetlands
During the final 10 days of the 2015 session, Governor Dayton, Senate Majority Leader Bakk and Speaker Daudt met frequently, attempting to reach a final agreement to end the session. Last week, the negotiators agreed to table...more
The focus at the Capitol this week for the Minnesota Legislature has been budget negotiations among Governor Dayton, Senate Majority Leader Bakk and Speaker Daudt. As of Friday morning, only two targets have been released —...more
With the clock running out for the legislature in 2015, members are spending more time in each chamber. Majority leadership from each body has been working with the Governor to find middle ground between gaps in budget plans....more
This week, as the Minnesota Legislature worked on finance bills, Governor Mark Dayton took the opportunity to comment on the House and Senate budget proposals. He criticized both plans for being too low in most regards....more
The legislature returned from a week off and started putting together omnibus finance bills, which must be out of committees by April 24. With just over a month left in the session, the pace of activity will continue to...more
With policy committee deadlines out of the way, Minnesota state legislators return this week to focus on passing finance bills, working in conference committees, and putting together a bonding bill. ...more
Today marks the end of the second deadline week at the Capitol. Non-finance bills which have not been heard in all required House and Senate policy committees by midnight tonight may not be acted upon. ...more
Today was the first of three committee deadlines during the legislative session. By midnight tonight, bills must be approved by policy committees in the House or Senate. ...more
This past week, commissioner salary raises were amended into deficiency funding legislation, tax committees heard a host of potential omnibus bill legislation, and additional testimony was heard on teacher tenure policy, as...more
The Minnesota Legislature had a short week after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This week was one of transition as committees had fewer introductory hearings and more testimony on bills that are being considered. ...more
As a result of November's elections, there is no longer one party control of Minnesota government. When the 89th session of the Minnesota Legislature convenes on January 6, 2015, the new House Republican majority, along with...more