Legislature Reaches Full Complement - For about three days this week, all 201 legislative seats, 134 House members and 67 Senators, were filled for the first time in 2025. The week began with David Gottfried, the winner of...more
What’s a Quorum? When Secretary of State Steve Simon convened the Minnesota House of Representatives at Noon on Tuesday, January 14, 67 Republicans were in attendance but the 66 DFLers were notably absent. DFLers...more
On May 24, 2024, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed into law the nation's 19th comprehensive data privacy law, the Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act (the "Minnesota Act"), which will take effect on July 31, 2025. This law...more
In the homestretch of Minnesota’s 2024 legislative session, tension has mounted in St. Paul as state House and Senate committees scramble to secure enough votes to place their bills on Governor Tim Walz’s desk for signature....more
Omnibus Policy Bills on the Move - Prior to the March 22nd legislative deadline for policy bills, most committees created omnibus policy bills. Starting this week, both the House of Representatives and the Senate engaged...more
Republicans Retain Daudt Seat - Republican Bryan Lawrence of Baldwin Township in Sherburne County won the Minnesota State House Special Election in District 27B to replace former Representative Kurt Daudt, who resigned...more
Where is the Governor’s Supplemental Budget? With legislators racing toward the first and second bill deadline on March 22, the Walz Administration spent the week behind closed doors putting the finishing touches on its...more
Looking Ahead to Next Week - With first and second deadlines fast approaching on March 22, expect the pace at the Legislature to increase next week as legislators race to meet these important policy bill deadlines....more
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released the State Economic Forecast today. In the Forecast, MMB declared that “Minnesota’s budget and economic outlook remains stable” for the remainder of the FY 2024-2025 biennium,...more
On Friday, May 19, 2023, Minnesota’s Senate approved the negotiated and final version of Minnesota’s new adult-use cannabis regime....more
On April 25, 2023, the Minnesota House passed House File 100 (HF100), a bill authorizing adult-use cannabis, by a vote of 71-59. Three days later, the Minnesota Senate passed Senate File 73 (SF73), a companion bill to HF100,...more
“The State of our State is Strong” - Governor Tim Walz delivered his annual State of the State address to legislators from the House chamber this week. He highlighted common themes from DFL leadership this session,...more
On February 7, 2023, Governor Tim Walz signed into law new legislation requiring that 100 percent of electricity generated or procured for use in Minnesota must be from carbon-free resources by 2040. Minnesota joins ten other...more
On Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz rolled out his full, $65 billion budget. Under the proposal, all but about $1.3 billion of the surplus would be spent, and two tax increases would be enacted: a 1/8 cent sales tax hike in the...more
Introduction - Despite a historic surplus, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die on Sunday, May 22 with most of their work unfinished. This result was far different from the expectations of many when the Legislature...more
Five weeks beyond the 100th calendar day of the session, the 2022 session of the 89th General Assembly of Iowa has adjourned sine die. Originally slated to end on April 20, stalled negotiations on Education Savings Plans...more
Sine Die - The Minnesota Legislature has adjourned sine die, and for many, it feels that is all that was accomplished this year. In spite of a global framework being agreed to—$4 billion each for taxes, spending and...more
Pursuant to the State Constitution, the legislature may not pass legislation after midnight on Sunday, May 22. Impacting the time pressure as well are the state party conventions. Republicans are meeting in Rochester now...more
IT’S A BIG DEAL - Yesterday, legislative leaders announced they had a deal on the replenishment of the unemployment insurance trust fund and frontline worker bonus pay. The deal was approved by a conference committee late...more
Time Marches On - We are two months into session, with merely seven weeks remaining (including a week-long break). After next week, the Legislature will go on break until April 19. When they return, nearly all committee work...more
Updated Supplemental Budget - Following the news that Minnesota’s projected budget surplus grew substantially in recent months, Governor Tim Walz released an updated supplemental budget proposal on Thursday. Notably, his...more
Welcome to the 2022 Minnesota Legislative Session! Minnesota legislators returned to St. Paul, either in-person or virtually, on Monday, January 31. House committees immediately dove into work, with most committees meeting...more
On Tuesday, December 7th, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released Minnesota’s November Forecast, projecting a $7.75 billion surplus for the FY 2022-23 biennium. This is a record surplus for Minnesota. The...more
Special Session Begins, Peacetime Emergency Continues The legislature began a special session on Monday, June 14, at noon. Special session was necessary for Governor Tim Walz to extend the state’s peacetime emergency due to...more
Seventeen - With three days before the end of the regular legislative session and no global budget agreement on the horizon, only seventeen bills have passed both the House and Senate and been sent to Governor Tim Walz for...more