Week in Review: April 19-22

Lawmakers returned from their Easter/Passover break this week and spent the last few days making mostly procedural moves to get omnibus bills aligned.

Aside from the House passing a $70 million funding package for environment and natural resources projects, and an initial meeting of the conference committee on the drought relief bill, most of activity took place in the House Ways and Means Committee.

Members met three times, mainly to combine omnibus bills with one another to better match legislation being assembled in the Senate. This will allow the bodies to better work together if each passes a version of a bill that will then need to be reconciled using the conference committee process.

Before wishing you a good weekend, a reminder that Gov. Tim Walz will give the annual State of the State address this Sunday, April 24, at 6 p.m. You can tune in to coverage of the address on the House website, beginning at 4 p.m.

Have a good weekend and here’s a look back at what you may have missed over the last few days.

AGRICULTURE

House, Senate negotiators begin reconciliation of drought relief assistance bills

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17392

Omnibus agriculture, housing and broadband bills combined; headed to House Floor

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17391

EDUCATION

Omnibus early childhood, E-12 education bill headed to House Floor

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17394

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

House passes Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund appropriations without formal commission recommendation

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17395

STATE GOVERNMENT

Three more omnibus bills — plus pension changes — rolled into single package

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17393

House DFL majority sets $7.4 billion supplemental biennial spending target

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17390