Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then the clerk completed a quorum call and confirmed a quorum was present. The journal from the previous day was approved as corrected. The chamber then moved through routine business, including second readings of Senate File 908 and Senate File 2678 and the first reading of newly introduced House Files 4892 through 4898. During announcements, Representative Novotny noted that Senator and former Representative Mary Kiffmeyer was retiring and described a traditional “bread day” in her honor, with homemade bread, raspberry jelly, and apple butter available in the retiring room. Majority Leader Winkler announced that the Rules Committee would meet shortly, DFL members would caucus at 4 p.m., and the House would reconvene around 5 p.m.; Republican members said they would caucus after Rules. Representative Neu Brindley then moved that the House recess to the call of the chair. The motion was adopted by voice vote, and the House recessed.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate took up several committee reports and special-order bills. Finance Committee reports were adopted on House File 4670, a claims-against-the-state bill, while Senator Marty objected under Rule 21 to the report on House File 778, a gambling/sports betting reports bill, so that report was not adopted. The chamber also approved adding Senator Letts as a co-author on Senate File 4593 and excused members for conference committees on House File 4293, Senate File 4062, and Senate File 4410. On special orders, the Senate passed Senate File 4045, which moves the Rare Diseases Advisory Council from the University of Minnesota to the Minnesota Council on Disability; the bill was described as having unanimous, bipartisan support. The Senate also passed House File 3013, which classifies five Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission employees into the classified service, and Senate File 4318, a technical judiciary bill to make service-of-process language uniform in certain forfeiture matters. House File 4030, a commerce bill clarifying state jurisdiction over gold and bullion transactions, also passed after supporters said it would protect Minnesota consumers. The final bill considered was Senate File 2952, as amended by the A4 amendment. The bill requires the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board to collect more specific data on teacher shortages, including assignments districts cannot fill with licensed teachers and shortages in certain subject areas. Supporters said the additional data would help target solutions, while opponents argued the shortage is already clear and the state should act now on recruitment, pay, and working conditions. The bill passed 65-0. The Senate then recessed to the call of the President, with plans to return later for a Finance Committee report.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House took up House File 3438, a legacy bill returned from the Senate with amendments, and Representative Lilly moved that the House concur and repass the bill as amended. Lilly explained that the Senate changes mainly affected the clean water article, including shifting the deadline for clean water proposals until after the budget forecast and requiring a second-year review of surplus or deficit conditions similar to the Lessard-Sams process. He also noted that the bill carried forward a large package of vetted outdoor heritage and other legacy projects, plus some extensions for projects delayed by COVID and construction-related issues, but said the Senate did not agree to spend additional bottom-line funds on arts and culture, parks and trails, or clean water projects. Representative Green spoke in opposition, thanking staff but criticizing the vetting process and saying the bill funded too much land acquisition without enough specificity or transparency. He argued the Legislature should not simply accept council recommendations, said the bill bought large amounts of land and easements when the state and federal governments already own a substantial share of Minnesota, and preferred spending more on land enhancements rather than purchases. He said he would vote no and did not recommend support for the motion. After discussion, the House voted on the motion to concur. The motion prevailed, the bill was given third reading, and later a roll call repassed House File 3438 as amended by the Senate. The final vote was 89 ayes and 40 nays, and the bill’s title was agreed to.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration considered House File 4649, a Hollins bill to reauthorize the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund, which is currently set to expire in 2024. Representative Collins explained that the measure would place the fund’s reauthorization before Minnesota voters and also redirect the remaining 50 percent of lottery proceeds that would otherwise go to the general fund into a housing fund focused on affordable and deeply affordable housing. The chair noted the bill was in Rules because it is a constitutional amendment and that there was not yet final agreement, but referral to the General Register would keep it eligible for future floor scheduling. After a roll-call vote, the committee approved the motion to refer the bill to the General Register by a vote of 9 ayes to 6 nays. No further business was taken up, and the committee adjourned.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a roll call establishing a quorum. The chamber then moved through routine business: executive and official communications were received and referred with no action required, House File 3288 was reported as passed by the House and returned, House Files 3255 and 3439 were transmitted from the House, and House Files 1829, 2354, and 2660 were given their second reading. Committee reports and author motions were adopted, and Senate Resolution 143 was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. The main substantive debate centered on Senator Dibble’s motion to withdraw Senate File 1871 from the Committee on Health and Human Services Finance and Policy, give it a second reading, and place it on General Orders. Dibble identified the bill as a conversion therapy ban and argued it was urgent because prior attempts to hear or amend the bill had been blocked. Several senators spoke in support, saying conversion therapy harms LGBTQ youth, citing mental health risks, depression, substance use, and suicide concerns, and urging immediate floor debate and action. A roll call was taken on the motion. Members voting under Rule 40.7 were announced, and the vote was held open briefly to allow additional members to vote. After all votes were counted, the motion failed by a vote of 34 ayes to 31 nays. Following the vote, Senator Miller moved to adjourn to the call of the President, and the Senate agreed, entering recess.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House considered the conference committee report on House File 961, a labor-related bill. Representative Eklund moved to adopt the report and re-pass the bill as amended, explaining that the Senate had removed a couple of provisions and the conferees had agreed to restore one of them. There was no debate, and the motion to adopt the conference report prevailed. The bill then received its third reading as amended by conference. Representative Eklund urged members to vote green, and the House proceeded to a roll call vote. The final vote was 126 ayes and 5 nays. House File 961 was re-passed as amended by conference, and its title was agreed to.

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard Senate File 3266, authored by Senator Rosen, which would create a stadium reserve/refinance fund to use excess e-pulltab revenue to refinance the 2014 stadium appropriation bonds once they become callable. Rosen argued the reserve has grown substantially, that the bill would preserve a $44 million cushion, and that refinancing could generate significant taxpayer savings and shorten the debt term. She also said the money should remain dedicated to the stadium and not be diverted to other uses. A key issue was a proposed A5 amendment. Rosen explained it was intended to address federal arbitrage concerns by restricting interest earnings on funds pledged to the refinancing. MMB staff said the amendment would likely reduce general fund interest earnings by about $4.3 million over fiscal years 2023-2025, based on the current forecast. The committee also discussed Minneapolis’s role in the original stadium financing and whether the city should receive some benefit if the state refinances the bonds. Senator Champion raised questions about the Minneapolis impact and whether the bill should more directly require future savings for the city. MMB staff responded that the city’s existing liability could not be changed without separate legislation and that the exact refinancing structure is not yet known, so a precise Minneapolis benefit cannot be calculated now. Fatima Moore, Minneapolis’s intergovernmental relations director, testified that the city supports continued discussions and believes Minneapolis should share in any refinancing benefits because it still pays operating, capital improvement, and other stadium-related obligations. The committee adopted the A5 amendment by voice vote, and the bill remained under discussion with no final disposition shown in the transcript.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The conference committee on public safety and judiciary reviewed a broad House offer on the public safety/corrections bill and then recessed. The chair said the House had made substantial movement toward the Senate but rejected the idea that a single “global offer” was required before negotiations could continue. He emphasized that the House bill was intentionally large because of concerns about violent crime, guns, carjackings, and related public safety issues, and said the offer was meant to establish common ground on many provisions before resolving the remaining disputes. The offer covered county corrections funding and policy changes, prosecutor training, agency provisions, vulnerable adult and anti-trafficking measures, the Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women, law enforcement recording retention, interlock devices, doxing, Fusion Center oversight, free jail calls for mental health, Leech Lake law enforcement changes, task force extensions, DWI search warrants, offender supervision councils, air patrol, transportation expenses for offender transfers, DOC data systems and body cameras, first responder wellness and body armor, sentencing guidelines appointments, county attorney data collection, youth prevention and mental health grants, victim services, fentanyl-related penalties and drug reform, organized retail theft, carjacking reporting, Clean Slate expungement, oral fluid testing, school safety, identity theft, employment pathways, family connections, and violent crime reduction funding. Several items were described as Senate provisions accepted by the House, while others were House provisions paired with Senate language. Members then raised concerns and clarifications, especially about the county corrections formula and whether the bill should include a temporary allocation formula or wait for stakeholders to return with a permanent one. One member urged that the current breakdown not be left without a better formula, warning about county frustration and possible unintended consequences. Another member noted that some items already had agreement, including GPS tracking and shifting sexual assault forensic examination costs from counties to the state, and said amended language on that issue was still being worked out. The discussion ended without a vote, with members urging continued negotiation and further meetings to resolve the remaining issues.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate first handled several procedural matters, including approving conference committee appointments for Senate File 4476 and House File 961 and excusing members for conference committees on Senate File 2373 and House File 4293. The chamber then adopted committee reports on Senate File 3541, a retirement bill, and House File 3346, a state government bill; both were amended and advanced to the Committee on Finance after suspension of Joint Rule 2.03. The Senate also agreed to a motion designating special orders for immediate consideration, beginning with Senate File 2678. Senate File 2678, relating to health occupations, was explained as allowing pharmacists to administer intramuscular and subcutaneous drugs and place drug monitoring devices such as glucose monitors. Supporters said it would expand access to care, especially in greater Minnesota, and noted it was already allowed in many other states. The bill received favorable comments and then passed 66-0, with the title agreed to. The chamber then took up House File 3765, the LCCMR/Environmental Trust Fund bill, which allocates $70 million to environmental projects across the state, including land acquisition, habitat restoration, waters, trails, cover crops, Forever Green, drought response, septic systems, and other conservation work. Senator Westrom offered an A-10 amendment to remove state parks and trails land acquisition money, redirecting those funds to other environmental uses and adding a local-government resolution requirement for future land purchases. Senators Dziedzic, Marty, Torres Ray, and Herr raised concerns that the amendment would reduce support for parks and trails, supplant other funding, and depart from the LCCMR process, while Senator Anchor Bretson defended the bill as reflecting the commission majority and noted substantial existing parks and trails funding. The amendment was debated at length and a roll call was requested, but the transcript ends before the vote result is stated.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate began with quorum procedures, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, then received House messages. The House returned Senate File 1391 and Senate File 3850 without action, and requested concurrence on Senate File 2922, a commerce bill concerning debt collectors working from home and a new multilingual disclosure form about financial counseling services. Senator Hley explained the House amendment as a product of stakeholder discussions with the Department of Commerce, and the Senate concurred. Senate File 2922 then passed on final roll call, 63-0, with several members voting under Rule 40.7. The Senate also agreed to a House request for a conference committee on House File 961, a labor bill involving a supervisory law enforcement unit and appropriations. The chamber received additional House files and adopted committee reports. It later adopted Senate Resolution 142, introduced by Senators Miller and Lopez Franson, commemorating deceased senators and honoring their service and families, followed by a moment of silence. A major floor debate centered on Senator Lopez Franson’s motion to withdraw Senate File 757, the cannabis legalization bill, from committee and place it on general orders. Supporters argued the issue was urgent, citing public support, criminal justice disparities, public safety, and economic benefits; opponents argued against legalization and raised safety concerns. After extended debate and a point of order, the motion failed on a 31-33 vote. The Senate also adopted a finance committee report on Senate File 3266, a state government finance bill adjusting the stadium general reserve account, gave it second reading, and then recessed to the call of the President.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The conference committee met in hybrid format and confirmed a quorum before taking up agreed-upon language for the conference committee report. Members first adopted language related to the barbering and cosmetology boards, which was described as a response to a legislative audit report and the result of extended work to address audit findings. That motion passed without objection. The committee then adopted the H.F. 4293 A73 amendment concerning mediation and the State Historical Reservation Office. Next, it considered the A86 amendment on grants to nonprofits; members noted that the language had been narrowed from earlier versions, with the most controversial provisions—audits and a cap on salaries—removed. The amendment was adopted after brief discussion. The committee also adopted the A88 amendment regarding the Mississippi River Parkway Board. Members explained that the language would stagger board terms and establish a rotating appointment structure, with some stylistic changes but essentially the same substance as prior House and Senate language. There was some concern raised about amendments not yet posted online, but staff indicated they would be posted. The committee noted that spending targets had been received, that some issues remained outstanding, and that it would meet again the next day at the regularly scheduled time to continue work on the bill and budget details.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House convened with prayer led by Rep. Tony Albright of District 55B, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a quorum call showing a quorum present. The journal from the previous day was approved as corrected, and routine business proceeded, including adoption of standing committee reports and second readings of House File 4850 and Senate File 3338. The chamber also handled introduction of new legislation, with House Files 4887 through 4891 given first reading. No substantive debate on the bills occurred in this segment; the proceedings were largely procedural. Majority Leader Winkler then announced that the House would recess for a Rules Committee meeting and reconvene later in the afternoon with 30 minutes' notice. Representative Anne Neu Brindley noted that GOP members would caucus immediately after Rules. The motion to recess prevailed, and the House stood in recess.