Latest news with #DFL-St.Paul
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ugly divides revealed in budget negotiations even as leaders express optimism
The Brief Legislative leaders expressed optimism Tuesday that a budget deal could be finalized by the end of this week and a special session would start next week. An explosive taxes meeting -- one of the few working groups meeting publicly -- revealed some deep divisions on the road to finalizing agreements. Layoff notices will likely need to go out to state employees next week because July 1 is when a government shutdown would happen without a deal. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - An explosive day at the Capitol has revealed some deep divisions as legislators try to work out a state budget before a special session. Explosive day They're on the clock to avoid a government shutdown and we saw the good, the bad and the ugly Tuesday. Walking into the governor's office, Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth, (R-Cold Spring), Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, (DFL-St. Paul), and House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, (DFL-Brooklyn Park), were all smiles — Hortman even expressing optimism that the finish line is near. "We're hoping to wrap things up this week and that the revisor will finish drafting soon thereafter," she said, acknowledging a special session would likely follow next week if everything goes right. Missing pieces But reasons for pessimism are also abundant. Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson was absent Tuesday and hasn't been invited to meet with the other leaders in five days. And most of the negotiations are happening behind closed doors, but two working groups are meeting in public. Tensions escalated in the taxes group Tuesday when Sen. Ann Rest pushed House members to dry the ink on a couple compromises proposed by the House members. "To move forward, the Senate is accepting your offer," said Sen. Rest, (DFL-New Hope). "One would think that the House would vote for their own offer. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed, say no. The motion fails. Let it be known to our leaders that the House cannot even accept their own proposal." MN Care's till Tuesday The issue of healthcare coverage for undocumented immigrants is also still a powder keg. A few dozen protesters rallied in front of the governor's office, hoping to convince negotiators to back down from the change cutting undocumented adults out of MN Care. They argue the coverage saves money in the long run and it's the right thing to do with the budget. "Always it has to be a moral document, but people tend to make a political document," said Pablo Tapia, an organizer from Blaine. Deadlines approaching They're working under a couple deadlines at the Capitol now. The state government would shut down without a deal before July 1. And because of that, layoff notices have to go out to state employees if there's no deal before next Monday -- 30 days notice. That seems like a foregone conclusion now, even in the best-case scenario.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Minnesota Legislature budget progress slow, but work getting done
The Brief After day three following the end of the legislative session, many bills remain incomplete. The Minnesota Legislature missed their May 19 deadline. Working groups pressed ahead in preparation for a special session. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - It has been days after the end of Minnesota's regular legislative session, but the state's next two-year budget remains incomplete. The backstory The Minnesota Legislature missed its May 19 deadline to pass the next two-year budget. The Minnesota Legislature is closely divided – tied in the House and Democrats have a one-seat majority in the Senate. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders had previously announced a universal agreement that working groups are using as a framework. That two-year budget agreement was roughly $66 billion. What we know Since the end of the regular session, many of the meetings have been happening behind closed doors. However, more working groups held public meetings on Thursday. Leaders in both chambers said progress is slow, but work is getting done. They said most bills are either close to being done or essentially done and groups were finalizing language. House leaders called out taxes, education, and health and human services as still needing quite a bit of work. They also said mediators were needed to help transportation along. A major point of contention remains unresolved -- whether to continue funding health insurance for adults who are undocumented. What they're saying When asked about how the news coming out of Washington D.C., as House Republicans passed a sweeping bill including tax cuts and changes to Medicaid, will impact state budget discussions, state leaders said they will not change course – for now. "We will likely be back later this summer or this fall to reconcile the damage they are doing to Minnesota's budget, to Minnesota's healthcare system and to Minnesotans' lives. But right now, we have to do this job," said Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, (DFL-St. Paul). "We were already having those conversations and signed a deal before anything would have passed federally in the House. Our decisions going forward are going to adhere to what we know and what we have already signed in on our global deal with the governor and the other leaders," said House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring), What's next Gov. Walz said he will not call a special session until all the work is done. Legislative leaders said, in terms of timing, it will be mid-next week at the earliest. A budget needs to be passed by June 30th to avoid a government shutdown. The Source Minnesota Legislature, Minnesota House of Representatives, Minnesota Senate.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Get mad about MinnesotaCare, but Walz and DFL legislative leaders are not the real culprits
Majority Leader Erin Murphy. DFL-St. Paul, and DFL caucus members outline their focus and work ahead for the 2025 session at a press conference February 10, 2025. Photo by A.J. Olmscheid/ Senate Media Services. Progressives are outraged that Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy and House leader Melissa Hortman agreed to a budget deal that will strip health insurance from undocumented adults who became newly eligible for the coverage on Jan. 1 Here's Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez: I'm extremely disappointed … They made a deal with the GOP to strip away health care from undocumented residents. Chavez takes particular aim at Murphy, hinting at a potential primary challenge. 'We won't forget that your re-election is next year.' The anger is understandable. At the end of the year, at least 15,000 Minnesotans will be kicked off MinnesotaCare — a public insurance program for the working poor created by then-Republican Gov. Arnie Carlson — if the deal passes. Only undocumented children will still be able to access coverage. These adults will no longer get routine care, which will worsen chronic conditions or allow undiagnosed conditions to fester. They'll go to emergency rooms for care. Minnesota hospitals, which favor keeping the program's eligibility intact, will be forced to provide more uncompensated care. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney offered some moral clarity on the subject recently: 'We need to be able to offer health care to anyone who is here, no matter how they got here, who let them in. Are we going to let them die on the streets? Are we going to let them suffer? Or are we going to allow them — all of us — the basic health care that we need?' But Chavez's 'extremely disappointed' attack is wildly misplaced. Walz, Murphy and Hortman share power with Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth, for whom cutting the MinnesotaCare benefit is a top priority, perhaps her most important priority. Walz, Murphy and Hortman had to consider the repercussions of a stalemate that could lead to a government shutdown July 1. Which would be devastating to everyone who relies on state government for services, which is basically all of us — but especially our most vulnerable. I suspect most progressives in the Legislature know this, which is why at least so far, we're not hearing widespread threats to withhold votes to stop the deal, except on the health budget bill that will include the MinnesotaCare provision. Their opposition on that vote will be mostly symbolic, as Murphy should have no problem wrangling some Republican votes. (Caveat: It's a fluid situation, and progressives may wind up risking a shutdown to fight for MinnesotaCare for undocumented people. That's a difficult choice; let's hope they make it with eyes wide open.) We should also remember what Walz, Murphy and Hortman have managed to protect: paid family and medical leave; earned sick and safe time; and unemployment benefits for hourly school workers, which were three significant achievements of the 2023 Legislature. They've also protected schools and social service programs from draconian cuts, despite the state's structural deficit. Instead of the circular firing squad, Democrats might consider who the real culprit here is: Republicans who have made taking subsidized health care away from working people a primary policy goal. Why not turn your fire on them? State Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls, is out here bragging in a press release about how he's 'been at the forefront' of taking people's health care. Rep. Elliott Engen, R-White Bear Township, told a a Democratic senator to 'cry harder' for caring about people losing their health care. If you want to get mad at Democrats, get mad that they lost control of the House last year, which is what allowed taking health care away from working people to rise to the top of the issue agenda. Which means getting mad at former President Joe Biden for running for a second term. And getting mad at Kamala Harris for running a lackluster campaign. And getting mad at Minnesota Democrats for running behind Harris in enough districts to lose the House. And when it comes to winning the next election, ill-informed attacks on people trying to govern aren't helpful either. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
With no budget deal yet, special session increasingly likely at Capitol
Hopes of state lawmakers passing a more than $60 billion two-year budget on time are fading at the Minnesota Capitol. Daily marathon negotiation sessions between Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor majority Senate and the House tied 67-67 between the DFL and Republicans, have failed to produce a final budget deal. On Wednesday, Democratic-Farmer-Labor leaders said it's increasingly likely lawmakers will have to go into overtime, as it'll be difficult to beat the May 19 deadline to pass bills. The government shuts down on July 1 if they can't reach an agreement. Speaking to reporters outside the governor's cabinet room Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said it's important the Legislature gets the budget right and doesn't push its staff too hard in the final days of the regular session. 'I do think it is important to recognize that human beings work here and human beings need sleep,' she said, later stating more plainly: 'I think a special session is very, very likely if not inevitable.' House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman said weeks ago that she expected a special session. Republican leaders say they remain hopeful a deal can be reached before Monday's midnight legislative deadline, but as of Thursday, there are only five days remaining to pass bills. 'I still think there's a chance we can get this thing by the time, but I think as the hours go by, it becomes a little more difficult,' Walz said at a Tuesday news conference unrelated to the budget. He added that the special session may happen soon after next Monday's adjournment and needn't drag on for days if he and leaders can reach a deal before officially returning to the Capitol for business. The governor calls a special session. State leaders' inability to finish their work on time will cost Minnesota taxpayers, though exactly how much is hard to pin down. It will depend on the number of days and the amount of work they'll need to complete. The cost could be more than $17,000 a day. Senators and representatives earn a yearly salary of $51,750, and they can collect $86 per day per diem for meals and other incidental expenses. Legislative salaries are fixed, but if all 201 members of the Senate and House collected their full per diem, it will cost the state $17,286 per day. That's the maximum, and it's not likely all lawmakers will claim the full amount. They haven't in the past. House Public Information Services in 2019 estimated that a special session costs the state anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 per day. Other costs that are harder to pin down include pay for seasonal legislative staff who will work overtime. Operations at the Capitol also carry costs. The lengths of special sessions can vary greatly. In 2021, lawmakers returned to the Capitol for 24 days from mid-June to early July to pass the 2021-2023 budget and address an extension of Walz's COVID-19 peacetime emergency. In 2017, lawmakers convened for three days to complete the budget. In 2019, lawmakers only returned to the Capitol for one day immediately following the regular session to pass a previously negotiated budget bill, which didn't have quite enough time to reach the finish line of the regular session. Walz told reporters this week that his hope is that this year's special session would be the same if he ends up calling one. This year's legislative session got off to a slow start as the House DFL, temporarily at a one-seat disadvantage, boycotted the session for three weeks to deny a temporary Republican majority quorum to pass bills and conduct other business. That ate into the Legislature's time, but special sessions have become increasingly common in recent history, especially during a budget year. Often, the governor calls a special session to address emergencies, as Walz did several times during the COVID-19 pandemic. They've also become the norm for passing a budget under divided government. The last time a divided government passed a budget without a special session was 2007. DFL trifectas — where one party controls the governor's office, Senate and House — passed budgets with no special session in 2013 and 2023. In all other years without one party control, lawmakers had to return to the Capitol for overtime. In 2011, Minnesota's government shut down for 20 days after Gov. Mark Dayton and the Republican-controlled Legislature couldn't reach an agreement on the budget. The Legislature is working with a $456 million surplus for the next two years, but a $6 billion deficit looms in 2028-2029. What the state should cut to prepare for that bleaker outlook is central to the debate between DFLers and the GOP. Many Democrats are hesitant to water down new social programs and mandated employer benefits they created in 2023. Key sticking points include unemployment benefits for hourly public school employees, which Republicans want to end. The DFL budget frameworks lean on funding cuts for nursing homes and long-term disability waivers, which Republicans oppose. There are also debates over whether the state should continue offering MinnesotaCare coverage to people without legal immigration status. Republicans claim that it will cost the state a significant amount in the future based on higher-than-expected enrollment, but so far, the costs they predict have not materialized. MN moves to strengthen DWI laws after fatal St. Louis Park crash With one week left, what's happening with the MN budget at the Legislature? Joe Soucheray: No other governor has tried to pull off this pathetic budget stunt Gov. Walz encourages legislators, and anglers, to get the lead out Minnesota Senate OKs new anti-fraud office, but much work remains
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Democrats want to borrow over $1.3 billion for infrastructure; House has lower target
Photo by. Labor and city leaders joined Senate Democrats Thursday to call for a $1.35 billion investment in Minnesota infrastructure projects, which would fund water treatment plants, city sewer expansions and road and bridge repairs. But the House, which is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, has agreed to spend up to $700 million on infrastructure projects — around half of the Senate DFL target. DFL House Leader Melissa Hortman said Monday the House target could change in negotiations with the Senate and governor. Known around the Capitol as a 'bonding bill,' the Legislature typically funds public works projects with borrowed money in even years; the Constitution requires a 60% supermajority for passage, which means the bill requires robust bipartisan support. Bonding bills raise money for infrastructure projects by directing state agencies to sell off bonds; the state then pays back the bond holders over time, with interest. 'At a time when the federal government is slashing funds for community projects, it's more important than ever that state lawmakers support these shovel-ready projects,' said Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, who chairs the Senate Capital Investment committee. There's another reason lawmakers may feel more pressure to pass a bonding bill immediately: Congressional Republicans are considering changes to tax law that would cause interest rates on bonds to rise significantly, making infrastructure projects more expensive to finance. Historically, the Minnesota Legislature passed a budget in odd-numbered years and a bonding bill in even-numbered years, but lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on a bonding bill in 2024. The DFL-controlled Legislature passed a $2.6 billion infrastructure package in the 2023 session, including $1.5 billion in bonds, following three legislative sessions without an infrastructure deal. Pappas said the inconsistency in passing bonding bills has created a backlog in the list of projects; water and sewer plants across the state are aging out at the same time, she said. Labor unions back the bonding bill because it would create new jobs for blue collar workers; cities want the bonding bill to pass because they rely on state funds to complete local projects.
