Latest news with #Minnesotans'
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
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Friday roundtable in Rochester to focus on possible Medicaid cuts
Apr. 9—ROCHESTER — State and local health care leaders will hold a roundtable event from 10 to 11 a.m. on Friday, April 11, in Rochester. Panelists from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Minnesota Department of Commerce and MNsure will focus on two upcoming changes that could impact Minnesotans' health insurance coverage. The first is the potential for federal cuts to Medicaid, or Medical Assistance. The other topic is the advanced premium tax credit, a credit provided to qualifying self-insured patients that is set to expire this year. The event will also include community members and local health care leaders, per a DHS press release. The roundtable will be held at Fernbrook Family Center, located at 2519 Commerce Drive Northwest in Rochester. It's one of several roundtables being held across Minnesota.
CBS News
09-04-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Minnesota's spongy moth mitigation plan canceled due to lack of federal funding, ag officials say
Minnesota's plan to combat an invasive pest is canceled after federal funding fell through, the state said. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture planned to apply an insecticide called Btk to 12 areas throughout the state to fight the spongy moth , whose voracious appetite is devastating to forests. But the department said it did not receive the necessary federal funds in time. "Having to cancel Btk aerial management operations in these areas jeopardizes the future success of this program," department Commissioner Thom Peterson said. "Spongy moth populations in these areas will likely increase and advance quicker into neighboring areas, making future years of management more complicated and costly." Affected counties include Anoka, Carlton, St. Louis and Winona. Temporary quarantines may be put in place to stop the pests from spreading outside these areas. Agriculture officials said they will plan to use other methods to manage the pests, including a pheromone to stop them from reproducing. A yearly survey of the pests will also occur. Both of those operations also rely on "uncertain" federal funding, according to the department. "A threat to Minnesota's forest is a threat to many Minnesotans' livelihoods and our state's economy," the department said. "The MDA will continue to work within its state program to monitor spongy moth populations and to advocate for the best possible management strategies in the future." According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the spongy moth "poses a danger to North America's forests" and has "dramatically changed the landscape" of parts of the country. It eats more than 300 species of trees and shrubs.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Minnesota's retail marijuana rules sent for final approval before license rollout
The Brief The Office of Cannabis Management has submitted a final draft of rules that, if approved, will govern the retail recreational marijuana industry in Minnesota. The rules come after several rounds of community input and, once approved by a judge, will pave the way for licenses to entrepreneur applicants. To date, the roll-out process for applicants to receive a license associated with the retail cannabis industry has left some frustrated. (FOX 9) - Minnesota's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), tasked with overseeing the state's retail industry, has announced it has submitted its final draft of rules governing legal cannabis sales. What we know The OCM says that on Tuesday it submitted its proposed rules governing legal cannabis for final approval – an act seen as the next step toward recreational cannabis dispensaries opening. Much like the licenses themselves, the process has been multi-layered and involved several rounds of public input. A first draft of the proposed rules was shared by the OCM in 2024 and sought public feedback.A final draft was then posted from Jan. 13 to Feb. 12, seeking Minnesotans' final input before they can be approved by an administrative law judge. A judge will now have 14 days to approve, deny or otherwise alter the rules. A final set of approved rules will then be published in the State Register – making them adopted, and in effect. The OCM says it can begin issuing cannabis business licenses once the rules are formally adopted. A full list of proposed rules can be found below: Click to open this PDF in a new window. Dig deeper Nearly 200 prospective business owners whose applications for uncapped license types were qualified during the license pre-approval process are in position to receive licenses shortly after rules are adopted, the OCM says. Qualified applicants in the four license types whose numbers are capped – cultivator, mezzobusiness, manufacturer, and retailer – will then take part in a series of lottery drawings for their distribution. Lotteries for each license type will be conducted later this year for both social equity applicants and general applicants, the OCM says. If not selected in the first lottery, qualified social equity applicants will have another opportunity to be entered into a second lottery along with the general applicants for remaining licenses. To date, the process for entrepreneurs to receive a license associated with the retail cannabis industry has left some frustrated. What they're saying "With the rules now in the hands of an administrative law judge for final approval, we've reached a crucial milestone. Following approval, prospective businesses will be able to complete their final steps and receive a cannabis license," said OCM Interim Director Eric Taubel, in a statement. "These rules lay the foundation to ensure Minnesotans can have confidence in a safe, well-regulated cannabis market."
CBS News
21-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Gov. Walz's revised budget cuts hundreds of millions with deficit looming
Weeks after budget forecasters predicted a precipitous drop in Minnesota's surplus, Gov. Tim Walz has released a revised budget that his office says cuts hundreds of millions of dollars in spending in the coming years to fend off an impending deficit. The budget revision, which is a legally required annual move, cuts $162 million from the 2026-2027 budget and about $247 million from 2028-2029. The cuts come from several state grants and programs, with some of the larger reductions coming from charter schools, payments to counties to offset tax loss and transit funding in greater Minnesota. New spending in the budget, according to Walz, includes money for law enforcement training and bird flu response. The revised budget maintains pillars of Walz's original proposal , including cutting the statewide sales tax by .075% while expanding the sales tax base, an anti-fraud package and increased accountability for health insurers. It also keeps cuts to special education, state funding for private schools, Medicaid programs and more. If approved by the Legislature, the budget would keep more than $2.3 billion on the bottom line for the next two-year budget. "The revised budget curtails spending growth while maintaining key services that improve Minnesotans' lives," Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Erin Campbell said. "This budget is fiscally responsible and recognizes the need to take action now to address the imbalance in revenues and spending long-term." More details about the revised budget can be found on Minnesota Management and Budget's website . Earlier this month, Minnesota Management and Budget forecast a $456 million surplus for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, a reduction of $160 million from the previous forecast. The office cited state spending and "shifting policies at the federal level" as reasons for the shrinkage. Additionally, the office said if the state continues to outspend its revenue growth, there will be a deficit of nearly $6 billion in future years, an increase from the $5.1 billion deficit previously predicted. The Legislature will have to agree on a budget by the last day of session, which is May 19. If they don't, lawmakers will have to go into special session. Without a budget, the state government would shut down starting July 1.
