Minnesota Legislature
Session Daily Archive
A compendium of Session Daily articles dating back to 2004
Results:
Violent, repeat offenders shouldn’t get chance for downward sentencing, say bill supporters
By Tim Walker
Rep. Walter Hudson (R-Albertville) says he understands the rationale for having a justice system that has dual goals of punishment plus a chance at rehabilitation and reintegrat...
House committee chair wants greater elections confidence through overhauled protocols
By Brian Basham
The 2024 election in Minnesota included missing ballots in an uber-tight legislative race, a winning candidate who didn’t live in the district and absentee ballots left unsecure...
Town roads, bridges would get funding boost under bill
By Rob Hubbard
Town roads can sometimes seem the state’s forgotten thoroughfares, so much so that Minnesota didn’t establish a statute around their definition or funding until just last year. ...
Rare disease advisory council seeks bump to base funding
By Margaret Stevens
An individual rare disease affects fewer than 200,000 people, by definition.
Collectively, however, an estimated 10,000 rare diseases impact millions of Americans and an est...
High-tech help may be on the way to keep avian flu at bay
By Tim Walker
Bird strikes can be deadly to airplanes taking off and landing at airports, so to ward off these avian threats, airports have for decades deployed lasers.
And by all account...
Minnesota's seniors could see property tax increases capped under House bill
By Rob Hubbard
“What I’m hearing at the doors” is a phrase that legislators frequently use. It means that, when they go door knocking while seeking re-election (or, for the rookies, election),...
Bill would eliminate Minnesota's lowest income tax tier
By Rob Hubbard
What would happen if we took Minnesota’s lowest income tax rate of 5.35% and eliminated it altogether? That is, what if there were a “zero bracket,” at which those under a certa...
Education vs. punishment at crux of bill that could modify home- and community-based services
By Todd Abeln
Sometimes a punishment outweighs the violation, especially if it’s minor.
Trying to help home- and community-based services from committing minor violations, the House Human...
House panel debates proposed exemptions to state's cadmium, lead ban
By Lisa Kaczke
In 2023, Minnesota lawmakers tightened the state’s restrictions on products containing lead and cadmium that children are likely to encounter in their home due to the metals’ ha...
House panel considers sales ban on flavored nitrous oxide
By Lisa Kaczke
Flavored nitrous oxide is used in the professional culinary world in products like whipped cream, but it’s becoming increasingly popular among kids to get high.
Nicknamed “...
Debt increase approved for potential armory upgrades, construction
By Mike Cook
A four-page bill only changes a “1” to a “4,” but it could triple the benefit.
“Basically what we’re asking is our credit card lender to increase our limit,” said Rep. Bjorn...
Tougher penalties proposed to curb ‘staggering rates’ of contraband smuggled into state’s prisons
By Tim Walker
Many of the techniques used to smuggle drugs into jails and prisons can endanger corrections officers and other prison staff, and it’s occurring at “staggering rates.”
So sa...
Education policy panel approves bill to let schools opt out of mandates
By Brian Basham
Rep. Ben Bakeberg (R-Jordan) is the only school administrator now serving in the House.
The middle school principal says one-size-fits-all education mandates passed in the p...
Legislation proposes overhaul of Minnesota's child care tax credit
By Todd Abeln
Child care for the youngest children is usually the most expensive.
Expanding the dependent care credit would assist with those child care expenses.
“We have decided to ...
House lawmakers show support for legislation limiting reach of HOAs
By Margaret Stevens
More than 1 million Minnesotans live under a homeowners association, and 86% say they are very happy with the results.
But when association boards or the managers they hire ...
