State of Affairs

With the constitutionally-mandated end of session just over two weeks away (Monday, May 19), much work remains to be done in order to pass a two-year budget. The first conference committee appointments have just been made, but no conference committees have even had an opportunity to schedule a meeting yet, and several bills have not yet passed off both floors. Further, a global budget agreement has yet to be made between the Governor and leaders from the House and Senate. Until that happens, conferees won’t be able to make final decisions on their budgets. Tax and bonding bills remain elusive, with neither body releasing one as of today. If the legislature fails to pass a complete budget by Midnight on May 19, a special session will have to be called to complete the work. Minnesota’s current budget expires on June 30, and if there is no budget in place at that time, Minnesota will face a government shutdown. There is still a path to avoid a special session, but time is starting to run short.

Education and Workforce Bills Highlight Difficulties

As the tied House of Representatives has passed most budget bills, many committee co-chairs have acknowledged that the bill would have looked very differently if left to their own devices, however the co-chairs were able to work together effectively to pass a bipartisan bill. Despite this cohesion, some bills have stumbled. After passing out of both the Education and Ways and Means committees, DFL members of the Rules Committee initially refused to calendar the education omnibus bill earlier this week, explaining that their caucus needed more time. The bill has since been calendared (it is scheduled for the floor on Monday), but it serves as a good reminder that a tied House can prove difficult to navigate. Likewise, after only being released last night, the House Workforce and Labor Omnibus bill was pulled from today’s Ways and Means agenda with no explanation or timeline for future action.

Earned Safe & Sick Time Changes

A bipartisan bill to make modest changes to Minnesota’s new Earned Safe and Sick Time (ESST) law has made its way to the Senate floor. S.F. 2300, authored by Sen. Judy Seeberger (DFL-Afton), would, among other minor changes, make adjustments to the effect on employers who offer a more generous leave policy. A key provision to limit the application of the law on small businesses of a certain size was removed at the last minute in the Rules Committee. The law currently affects all businesses with more than one employee, and the Seeberger bill would not change that.

Heintzeman Wins Special Election

Republican Keri Heintzeman of Nisswa won the Tuesday, April 29 Special Election for Minnesota Senate District 6 with 60.27% of the vote. In this strongly Republican-leaning district, she easily defeated DFLer Denise Slipy, who received 39.59%. The special election was prompted by the resignation of former Republican Senator Justin Eichorn, who stepped down in March following his arrest in a Federal sting operation related to the attempted solicitation of a minor. Senate District 6 encompasses parts of Cass, Crow Wing, and Itasca counties, including cities such as Brainerd, Grand Rapids and Nisswa.

Craig Jumps into U.S. Senate Race

Democratic U.S. Representative Angie Craig announced on Tuesday that she intends to run for the U.S. Senate Seat being vacated in 2026 by incumbent Democratic Senator Tina Smith. Craig joins Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and former State Senate Minority Leader Melisa Lopez Franzen in vying for the DFL endorsement. Craig’s run could open up a competitive race for her 2nd Congressional District seat. Former DFL State Senator Matt Little has already announced his candidacy and State Senator Matt Klein (DFL-Mendota Heights) is expected to announce his candidacy in the next few weeks. Former Minneapolis DFL Vice Chair Mike Norton has also said he plans to run for Craig’s seat. On the Republican side, Craig’s two-time Republican opponent Tyler Kistner is expected to announce that he will run for the seat. Several other prominent names, including current legislators, are also rumored to be considering a run.

May 2, 2025