228 Hours and Counting…

As of noon on Friday, May 8, there will be exactly 228 hours left in the 2026 Legislative Session before the required Constitutional adjournment deadline of midnight on Monday, May 18. With this deadline fast approaching, end-of-session negotiations remain focused on unresolved tax issues (including potential Hennepin County Medical Center funding and federal conformity), a deal on a capital investment infrastructure bill, fraud issues, and, to a lesser extent, supplemental budget targets. Health and Human Services is a sticking point, especially regarding conformity with new federal requirements via H.R. 1. A bonding agreement is still outstanding and will require a three-fifths vote, making a bipartisan, four-caucus agreement essential. With a 67–67 House and closely divided Senate margins, all final deals will hinge on leadership-level global agreements.

Senate Passes Gun Violence Prevention Bill on Party-Line Vote

The Senate on Monday approved a gun violence prevention package after hours of emotional debate, advancing legislation that would ban the future sale of assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines while increasing funding for school safety and mental health programs. The measure passed 34-33 along party lines, with all DFL senators supporting the bill and all Republicans opposing it. Supporters said the legislation was driven in part by last summer’s mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, where two children were killed and many others were injured. Democrats argued the package takes a broader approach to public safety by combining firearm restrictions with investments in school security, behavioral health programs, and anonymous threat-reporting systems.

Republicans said they supported additional school safety and mental health funding but strongly objected to the gun restrictions, arguing the proposal infringes on the rights of lawful gun owners and would likely face constitutional challenges. GOP lawmakers contended the legislation would do little to prevent future acts of violence and accused Democrats of advancing a partisan agenda despite the bill’s uncertain prospects in the tied Minnesota House. During debate, several lawmakers on both sides spoke emotionally about school shootings and public safety concerns, underscoring the intensity of the issue at the Capitol.

Senate Approves Supplemental Budget Bill After Lengthy Floor Debate

On Tuesday, the Senate passed SF 4059, a wide-ranging omnibus supplemental finance bill that lawmakers described as a targeted attempt to address pressing state needs. The bill passed 35-31 after an extended floor debate that touched on education policy, workforce development, environmental regulation, labor standards, and government oversight. Senate Finance Chair John Marty, the bill’s chief author, defended the measure as a “slim” supplemental budget package focused on affordability and urgent state priorities. Supporters argued that the bill contained critical funding for workforce development programs, school funding stability, battery recycling initiatives, and additional resources for the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Republican senators criticized the bill as an overly broad spending package that mixed unrelated policy provisions with supplemental appropriations. Senator Eric Pratt argued the legislation violated the state constitution’s single-subject requirement, calling it a “buffet bill” that added roughly $109 million in new spending.

Taxes in Limbo as Conference Dynamics Begin Without a House Bill

Organized by Department of Revenue Commissioner Paul Marquart, a joint House-Senate Tax Working Group began meeting on Wednesday as an informal conference committee despite the absence of a House tax bill. The Senate has already moved its bill out of committee, while the House remains without a vehicle, creating a compressed runway as the legislative session heads towards adjournment. The Working Group identified preliminary overlap, including several tax increment financing (TIF) provisions and roughly two dozen local option sales tax proposals that have been heard in both bodies, suggesting a baseline for eventual negotiations.

Key policy divisions between the House and Senate and the DFL and Republicans remain unresolved. House Republicans reiterated priorities around referendum-backed local option sales taxes and expanded federal conformity, while DFLers signaled continued adherence to existing statutory guardrails limiting local sales tax approvals. Hennepin County Medical Center funding also emerged as a central pressure point for inclusion in any final package. The discussion made clear that, absent a House bill, real progress is dependent on leadership-level budget agreements and the eventual convergence of tax targets.

Becoming Law

Typically, Minnesota’s Governor has three days (Sunday excluded) to sign or veto a bill passed by the legislature. If the Governor doesn’t explicitly sign or veto a bill during this time, it becomes law without his/her signature. The countdown for the three days begins after the Revisor presents the bill to the Governor.

However, this changes for bills that are passed in the last three calendar days of a session. All bills passed in the last three days of session must be acted on within 14 calendar days of adjournment (Sundays included). If a bill is not acted on during this period, the bill is considered vetoed.

May 8, 2026