A Race to the Finish

There are just over two weeks left in the 2022 Minnesota legislative session. The state constitution requires that the legislature adjourn on May 23.  The Governor has said he will not call a special session if the legislature doesn’t finish its work.

The Big Bills and the Little Bills

This week the House and Senate continued to pass omnibus supplemental budget bills (the big bills). Aside from a couple notable exceptions (see below), the major bills have passed each body and conferees have been appointed. Many of the conference committees will hold their first meetings on Monday, generally beginning with a walk-through of the various provisions in each bill.  With the initial passage of all of the omnibus bills, the House and Senate are both poised to start taking up smaller policy bills (the little bills). Though many provisions have been put into omnibus bills, each body does have dozens of bills ready for floor action.

Still M.I.A.

Though the House of Representatives passed its tax bill (H.F. 3669, Marquart) this week, the Senate has yet to release the second part of their tax bill. Additionally, neither body has yet to release its capital investment recommendations.

Election Politics

Senator Michelle Benson, the only woman candidate for governor from a major party this year, announced last Friday that she was ending her campaign. She has since announced that she will not be a candidate for Lieutenant Governor either. The Republicans will endorse a candidate at their state convention, held May 13-15 in Rochester.

The Issue You Can’t Escape This Week

Abortion is back in the news this week with the bombshell leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Because Minnesota has its own court ruling, Doe v. Gomez (1995), that guarantees a right to abortion in the state constitution, overturning Roe would have little impact here, aside from perhaps seeing an increase in the number of abortions sought by people from neighboring states.

May 6, 2022