Minnesota Legislature
Evenly-split House compromises to pass major legislation, finish session on time
By Rob Hubbard
The bipartisan burst of enthusiastic applause that reverberated around the House Chamber at midnight felt like a catharsis full of relief and release late Sunday.
For the first time this decade, the Legislature completed its business on time, without one party infuriating the other with parliamentary maneuvers or the size of its bills.
Yes, in the second year of an evenly divided House of Representatives, members seemed to have settled into a relatively comfortable pattern of largely agreeing on the most important issues to address, compromising on details, and eventually accepting that there were some areas in which movement wouldn’t be possible.
“A lot of tension, a lot of emotion” is the way that House DFL Caucus Leader Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) described the mood that pervaded the session. After a nerve-addling interim that included the assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, the shooting at Annunciation Church and School and Operation Metro Surge, Stephenson said he is proud that legislators held it together despite a few “combustible moments in session.”
Recent Dailies
House passes bill to expand Medicaid fraud investigation unit
By Winter Keefer The House passed a bill early Sunday morning to increase staffing for the Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid fraud investigation unit, stiffen penalties for Medicaid frau...House passes higher ed bill with grant program fixes, added fraud safeguards
By Margaret Stevens
Lawmakers are handing in a higher ed package that may not get top marks across the board, but it did receive a passing grade.
On a 101-33 vote, the House approved the higher...
Conferees adopt commerce package with meat raffle increase, no insurance loophole fix
By Lisa Kaczke
— UPDATED at 10:12 p.m. following House vote
The meat raffle prize increase has been added to the omnibus commerce policy bill.
But families whose health insurance cover...
Wide-ranging state government bill awaits governor's action
By Mike Cook
What started as a bill to provide additional funding for 17 independent locally programmed and managed radio stations across the state has blossomed in the final days of th...
Conferees reach deal on $32 million public safety and judiciary security package
By Tim Walker Working late into the night is not uncommon during this time of session, and the public safety and judiciary finance conference committee demonstrated that late-Friday/earl...Could 2026 retirements lead to record turnover in the House?
By Lisa Kaczke
In the final weeks of the legislative session, House members not seeking re-election to the body have taken a turn at gaveling in a floor session.
It’s an opportunity to loo...
House, Senate conferees wrap up higher education bill with technical changes, new grants
By Margaret Stevens
Like students sliding homework onto the teacher’s desk just as the bell rings, lawmakers wrapped up their higher education conference committee Friday with two minutes to spare....
House DFLers ramp up push for vote on gun control package as session deadline looms
By Tim Walker
Thursday was the day when the always-simmering debate over guns boiled over in the House.
While Wednesday night’s announcement of a budget agreement made headlines for ...
Higher ed conferees adopt areas of agreement, prep for final negotiations
By Margaret Stevens
With the legislative session well into its own version of finals week, the higher education conference committee made significant progress Thursday.
Members reviewing House ...
Conference committee nixes meat raffle prize increase, insurance loophole fix
By Lisa Kaczke
The conference committee report on the omnibus commerce policy bill is ready to go.
But when the vote on the report will take place is unknown.
Among the bill’s provisio...
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Could 2026 retirements lead to record turnover in the House?
By Lisa Kaczke
In the final weeks of the legislative session, House members not seeking re-election to the body have taken a turn at gaveling in a floor session.
It’s an opportunity to loo...
How short are the Legislature's short sessions?
By Lisa Kaczke
Rep. Ron Kresha (R-Little Falls) was ready to end the session March 25, making the motion to adjourn sine die. But not enough of his colleagues shared that sentiment, defeating ...
