Evenly-split House compromises to pass major legislation, finish session on time

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 few key bipartisan goals emerged early in the session. Legislators agreed that something would need to be done to address the possible closure of Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center, expensive fraud in the state’s human services programs and rising property tax rates.

Bills are on their way to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk — or have already been signed into law —including a package that could amount to $705 million to assist HCMC; creation of an Office of the Inspector General; a boost in funding for the attorney general’s fraud investigations; and an increase in homestead property tax refunds.

Read more at Session Daily.