Minnesota Legislature
Session Daily Archive
A compendium of Session Daily articles dating back to 2004
Results:
House panel approves $61 million for environmental projects
By Nate Gotlieb
An annual bill that approves funding for dozens of water quality, research, environmental protection and environmental education projects has been approved by a House committee after falling victim to a partisan disagreement last summer.
State judiciary has taken ‘unprecedented steps’ to operate safely in pandemic
By Tim Walker
The Minnesota Judicial Branch has undertaken several initiatives to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, such as transitioning judges and staff to working remotely, holding hearings remotely, and developing new health and safety protocols that have allowed some cases to resume inside modified courtrooms.
Testifiers tell House panel climate isn’t the only thing changing
By Rob Hubbard
Nine Minnesotans testified to how they have had to adapt to changes that climate scientists believe are caused by greenhouse gas emissions. How the state addresses those emissions is expected to be an increasingly hot topic in legislative debates this session.
State’s child care industry struggles, officials say, but shows resilience during pandemic
By Rachel Kats
The Minnesota child care industry has fared better than most states in the number of programs and providers that continued operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, the House Early Childhood Finance and Policy Committee heard during its first meeting of the 2021 legislative session.
With COVID rental assistance funds spent, $400 million more on way from feds
By Nate Gotlieb
A last-minute push by a state agency and its partners ensured that the state spent down a fund dedicated to helping renters and homeowners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
House panel extends remote marriage license options
By Tim Walker
HF17 would extend the ability of local registrars to receive and approve of marriage license applications using remote technologies. Tuesday’s unanimous vote in the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee sent the bill to the House Floor.
Procedural vote on emergency powers repeal fails in House
By Nate Gotlieb
An effort by House Republicans on Monday to force a vote on a resolution to end Gov. Tim Walz's peacetime emergency powers was unsuccessful.
$200m pool of state COVID funds nearly empty, lawmakers hear
By Rob Hubbard
When Minnesota’s first COVID-19 case was diagnosed in early March, it wasn’t long before both the federal and state governments started allocating funds to deal with not only the disease but its economic repercussions.
MN legislative leaders address rioting at U.S. Capitol
By Victoria Cooney
Legislative leaders started the week responding to last week’s unrest at the U.S. Capitol, calling for cooperation during the 2021 session, and expressing disappointments and concerns with each other.
Week in Review: Jan. 4-8
By HPIS Staff
A look back at what happened in the Minnesota House of Representatives the week of Jan. 4-8, 2021.
House adopts temporary rules, rejects two proposed GOP changes
By Nate Gotlieb
The House has passed temporary rules governing the upcoming biennium, including a pared-down committee structure and a provision that allows remote operations as necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rules committee adopts temporary rules; more discussion planned next week
By Tim Walker
The House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee took a step in the direction of establishing permanent rules Wednesday, by approving temporary rules, as amended, and sent them to the House Floor.
Session’s first day brings a different kind of divided House
By Rob Hubbard
It was an opening to the Minnesota legislative session unlike any before it.
A mere 20 representatives were in the House Chamber Tuesday as the session was called to order a...
Plenty for MN lawmakers to do in 2021, with pandemic response still a top priority
By Mike Cook
With a looming state budget deficit and increased wants from many, the 2021 legislative session won’t be easy.
