Minnesota lawmakers fail to finish budget before deadline, special session awaits
Minnesota's legislative session gaveled to a close Monday night, with lawmakers yet to reach an agreement on the two-year budget bills needed to avoid a government shutdown.
Huge pieces of legislation, such as the health and human services budget, have yet to be finalized and a special session could begin as soon as later this week.
Conference committees became working groups Wednesday and caucus leaders could step in and takeover the work if working groups become stalled.
"This is probably the hardest session I've ever been a part of, with so many twists and turns from the very beginning of the session," DFL Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy told reporters Monday.
GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth and other Republicans have blamed Democrats for the incomplete work, citing the 23-day delay to the start of the House's work as Democrats staged a walkout amid disagreement over power-sharing responsibilities, as Republicans threatened not to seat one of its lawmakers.
"Hard decisions still have to be made and then we will come back when the Governor calls us to finish up the work for Minnesotans and then get back into our districts," Demuth said Monday.
Determining how MinnesotaCare health insurance should apply to undocumented immigrants is the biggest unresolved conflict between lawmakers this session.
Walz and legislative leaders reached an agreement to roll back coverage for an estimated 15,000 undocumented adults, but allow undocumented children to remain eligible for coverage. However, the plan did not make it to a vote before the session adjourned after protest from some Democrats.
"The thing that is frustrating for me on this question is that our Republican colleagues continue to pose it as a financial issue - this is not a financial savings to the state of Minnesota," Murphy said. "It will cost Minnesota more money, this action, and it'll cause pain and suffering for some."
A wide range of budget bills, including legislation related to higher education, transportation and taxes, are still being finalized.
Murphy said she's hopeful everything will be buttoned up in the next couple of days, allowing the special session to convene later this week or early next week.
The DFL controls the Senate with a one-vote majority and the House is tied and operating under a power-sharing agreement.
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