After sunrise, the sun sets on 2019 special session

It took a grueling special session that stretched past sunrise, but Minnesota lawmakers completed their work early Saturday morning on passing a new two-year state budget.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) adjourned the House at 6:52 a.m., marking the end of a roughly 21-hour special session that saw legislators pass 13 bills and finish the work of a 2019 session that began Jan. 8.

Weeks of negotiation between Gov. Tim Walz, House DFL and Senate Republican leaders had gotten nowhere until a $48 billion 2020-21 budget deal was struck May 19. But that didn’t leave enough time for lawmakers to pass the 10 compromise finance bills before the Legislature had to adjourn a midnight Monday, necessitating Friday and Saturday’s marathon special session.

Lawmakers are scheduled to be back at the Capitol at noon, Feb. 11, 2020.