All Videos - Minnesota 2021 - 2021 1st Special Session (Page 37)
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee 4/25/22
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
House Ways and Means Committee 4/25/22 - Part 1
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
House Floor Session-part 2/Joint Convention of the Legislature/State of the State Address 4/24/22
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
The joint convention opened with prayer, roll call, and the formal escort of the Minnesota Supreme Court, Court of Appeals chief judge, constitutional officers, former Governor Mark Dayton, the lieutenant governor, and Governor Tim Walz into the chamber. After quorum was established, Walz delivered the State of the State address to the House and Senate, framing the state as strong and emphasizing cooperation across a divided legislature.
Walz highlighted recent accomplishments including record budget reserves, low COVID infections and hospitalizations, strong job growth, insulin price reductions, increased education funding, and a middle-class tax cut. He urged lawmakers to continue working together on unfinished business, especially using the state surplus to provide immediate relief to working Minnesotans, while opposing tax cuts for wealthy individuals and large corporations. He also pressed for passage of previously approved frontline worker “hero pay” and replenishment of the unemployment insurance trust fund, saying both were needed to recognize pandemic sacrifices and support workers and businesses.
A major theme of the address was the pandemic’s impact on the state’s caregiving and workforce systems. Walz discussed child care, home health care, and long-term care staffing shortages, praising child care workers, personal care assistants, and health care workers for keeping families and vulnerable Minnesotans safe. He cited efforts such as a CNA training and placement program that exceeded its goal and said the state should continue funding workforce-building efforts. He also thanked the Minnesota National Guard, State Patrol, and other public safety personnel for pandemic and emergency response work, including flood support.
Walz closed by proposing a $300 million public safety investment for local needs such as hiring officers, modernizing 911 systems, and supporting community safety initiatives. No legislative votes were taken during the meeting; the main action was the governor’s annual address and his call for bipartisan agreement on tax relief, frontline worker pay, unemployment insurance replenishment, workforce investments, and public safety funding.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
Gov. Tim Walz's 2022 State of the State address 4/24/22
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
Governor Tim Walz delivered a State of the State address to a joint convention of the Minnesota Legislature, opening by welcoming state leaders, tribal leaders, first responders, and guests, and expressing solidarity with Ukraine. He said Minnesota’s state of the state was strong, citing record budget reserves, low COVID-19 hospitalizations, and strong job growth, and argued that the divided legislature had already shown it could work together on major issues such as insulin price reductions, education funding, jobs, and middle-class tax cuts.
A major theme was using the state surplus to provide immediate relief to Minnesotans. Walz urged lawmakers to return money to working families through middle-class tax cuts, while opposing tax cuts for the wealthiest Minnesotans and large corporations. He also pressed for action on “hero pay” for frontline workers and replenishing the unemployment insurance trust fund, emphasizing the contributions of nurses, small business owners, and other essential workers during the pandemic.
The governor highlighted workforce shortages and proposed investments in child care, early education, home health care, and long-term care. He called for expanding pre-K, fully funding schools, increasing school mental health staff, supporting paid family leave, and strengthening the care workforce through higher wages and training programs such as CNA recruitment. He also discussed public safety, proposing $300 million for local law enforcement staffing, 911 modernization, and community-based violence prevention, while arguing that crime policy must also address root causes like housing, inequality, mental health, and addiction.
Walz closed by tying together health care, education, public safety, and climate, saying Minnesota should protect clean air and water, prepare the future workforce, and invest in sustainable solutions. He did not announce any floor votes or legislative actions in the speech, but repeatedly urged bipartisan compromise and immediate action on the budget and pandemic-related priorities.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
Session Update: State of the State Address Apr 24th, 2022
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The segment previewed Governor Tim Walz’s State of the State address and framed the remaining weeks of the Minnesota legislative session, with the House controlled by Democrats and the Senate by Republicans. It noted the state’s $9.25 billion surplus and the deadline to adjourn on May 23, setting up likely negotiations over supplemental spending, tax relief, and a bonding/infrastructure bill. The broadcast also highlighted several bills already signed into law, including funding for ALS research and caregivers, a legislative auditor review of the Southwest Light Rail Transit project, divestment from Russia and Belarus, and an extension of the state reinsurance program.
Several lawmakers and senators were interviewed about their priorities. Republican senators emphasized using the surplus for permanent structural tax cuts, including reducing the first-tier income tax rate and eliminating state income taxes on Social Security benefits, while criticizing one-time rebate checks and arguing that many lower-income taxpayers would receive no benefit. They also urged action on unemployment insurance trust fund replenishment, saying the Senate had already passed a bipartisan bill to pay off federal debt and restore reserves. DFL voices in the segment stressed the importance of frontline worker pay, public safety, education, mental health in schools, and infrastructure projects.
The discussion also revisited the Southwest Light Rail project, with sharp criticism of cost overruns and damage near the construction site. On the reinsurance issue, lawmakers explained that Minnesota needed to pass legislation to satisfy federal waiver requirements and continue lowering individual-market premiums. The segment ended with reflections from legislative leaders on the personal significance of this being their last State of the State as lawmakers, and their expectations that the governor would use the address to outline his vision and help unify the legislature for the final stretch of session.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
House/Senate Republican Media Availability 4/24/22
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
Republican legislators reacted to the governor’s State of the State address by arguing it came too late to salvage most of his agenda, which they said had already missed legislative deadlines. They criticized the governor for not being more ambitious on tax relief, saying Minnesota has a large surplus and that permanent, ongoing tax cuts are needed rather than one-time rebates. They also said the state is overtaxing residents and businesses and urged broader tax-rate reductions and a more business-friendly climate.
Public safety and education were the other major themes. The speakers said the governor’s public safety proposal was inadequate to address rising crime, recruit and support law enforcement, or hold criminals accountable. On education, they said the state has continued to pour money into schools without making progress on the achievement gap, and they called for reforms before additional funding. One speaker said Democrats in the Legislature were blocking needed education changes.
The unemployment insurance trust fund was highlighted as a separate issue where they said bipartisan action was already available. They noted the Senate had passed the bill with broad support and urged the governor to pressure House Democrats to move it immediately, warning that failing to do so would amount to a tax increase on employers. In the question-and-answer portion, the speakers said they agreed with the governor on returning some surplus money to Minnesotans, but remained frustrated that no final deal had been reached and said the Legislature was still at an impasse with about four weeks left in session.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
House Floor Session 4/24/22 - Part 1
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum call showing a quorum present. The journal from the previous day was read and approved as corrected. The chamber then received first readings of House Files 4816 through 4825.
A message from the Senate announced the appointment of senators to a joint committee to escort Governor Tim Walz to the House chamber for the upcoming joint convention, with a later speaker announcement revising the House escort committee membership by deleting Frederick and adding Bolden. The House also received Senate File 4062, a state government bill appropriating money for environment, natural resources, and tourism, which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
The House considered non-controversial motions without objection, and House Resolution 11 was introduced, recognizing the first Tuesday in May as a day of statewide prayer, fasting, and repentance in Minnesota. Representative Winkler moved that the House adjourn until 11 a.m. on Monday, April 25, 2022, and the motion prevailed. The House then recessed to the call of the chair, with caucus announcements made by both parties before recess.
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Summary:
The Senate met, established a quorum, and received messages from the House announcing passage of House Files 961 and 3765. The House also reported a change to the committee escorting the governor to the joint convention, replacing Frederick with Bolden. These messages were received and no action was required.
The chamber then moved through routine business: first reading and referral of House bills, introduction and first reading of Senate bills, and adoption of the author’s motions as one motion. No specific bill debate or substantive policy discussion occurred in the transcript.
During announcements, Senator Duckworth noted the chamber would remain open briefly for members to gather before going to the House chamber. He then moved that the Senate adjourn until Monday, April 25, 2022, at 11 a.m., and the motion prevailed.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
House/Senate DFL Media Availability 4/24/22
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
The discussion focused on the governor’s State of the State message and the prospects for bipartisan agreement on the session’s major budget and policy items. Speakers said the address emphasized “bread-and-butter” concerns for Minnesotans, including groceries, child care, tax relief, paid family and medical leave, health and education investments, and broader efforts to help families and workers after the pandemic. Several participants described the governor as optimistic and said the speech reinforced a message that the parties can still work together.
A major topic was the unresolved agreement on frontline worker bonuses and the unemployment insurance trust fund, with one speaker saying productive conversations had taken place with Senator Miller and the governor and expressing hope for a solution before April 30. Public safety funding was also discussed, including the governor’s proposed $300 million for local governments; one speaker said it was similar in concept to the House DFL approach, though larger than the House’s $100 million proposal, while another noted the Senate DFL target was even higher. Tax cuts, especially for families facing child care and property tax costs, were also mentioned as part of the negotiating agenda.
No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the exchange. Speakers repeatedly said the session would move through the usual budget and conference committee process, with compromises expected later. One participant criticized Republican attendance, saying Senate Republican Leader Miller was absent from the State of the State and that only eight Republican senators were present, arguing that progress requires showing up and negotiating.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
The Senate's Tax Plan Apr 22nd, 2022
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The discussion focused on the Senate Republican tax bill, which had already passed the Senate 42-24 and would use part of Minnesota’s roughly $9 billion to $10 billion surplus for tax relief. Tax Committee Chair Carl Nelson said the bill’s two main provisions are cutting the first-tier income tax rate from 5.35% to 2.8% and eliminating state taxes on Social Security benefits, including disability payments. He argued the income tax cut would provide relief to all taxpayers, with the largest percentage benefit going to lower-income Minnesotans, and said ending Social Security taxation would prevent what he described as double taxation and align Minnesota with other states that do not tax those benefits.
Nelson defended the plan as fiscally responsible because the state has a large surplus, a fully funded reserve account, and a structurally balanced budget. He said the state should return excess collections to taxpayers rather than increase spending, especially during inflation, and compared the proposal to refunding an overcharge. He also contrasted the Senate approach with the governor’s one-time rebate checks and the House DFL’s targeted tax cuts and credits, saying there could still be room for compromise but emphasizing the Senate’s preference for permanent tax relief over temporary payments.
Asked about education funding, Nelson said it was not a budget year and that broader education decisions would be addressed in the next session. He said Minnesota has already seen record education funding increases, including federal COVID relief, and argued that declining student enrollment and changing parental choices are the bigger issues. He also said the tax committee is preparing a second tax bill that would address property taxes, local option sales taxes, TIF, and related aids and credits, with the goal of moving that bill through the House, Senate, and conference committee before the May 23 session deadline.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
The Senate's Tax Plan, Tax Policy in Times of Surplus Apr 22nd, 2022
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The program focused on competing approaches to using Minnesota’s budget surplus for tax relief, with Senate Republicans advancing a tax bill that passed the Senate 42-24. Tax Committee Chair Carl Nelson said the plan would permanently cut the first-tier income tax rate from 5.35% to 2.8% and eliminate state taxes on Social Security benefits, arguing the surplus should be returned to taxpayers and that the changes would help offset inflation. He also said the Senate would pursue a second tax bill later in session dealing with property taxes, local option sales taxes, TIF aids, and credits.
Sen. Ann Rest, the Senate DFL’s tax lead, criticized the Republican plan as a large ongoing tax cut that would benefit wealthy taxpayers as well as others, and argued for one-time rebates and more targeted relief instead. She said the governor’s proposed $500 individual and $1,000 couple rebates would better address immediate costs like groceries, heating, and child care. Rest also said the House’s more targeted tax package, including child and dependent care credits, family rebates, and a modified Social Security subtraction, was preferable to a broad permanent cut.
The Senate Finance Committee also advanced the omnibus education bill, which includes $30 million to improve elementary reading proficiency. Supporters described literacy as the central issue and said the bill was an opportunity to improve student outcomes, while critics argued the proposal did not go far enough and that more surplus money should be directed to education. The program also previewed Governor Tim Walz’s upcoming State of the State address, with lawmakers saying they hoped to hear about the surplus, unemployment insurance funding, and the governor’s broader vision for the state.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
Tax Policy During a Budget Surplus Apr 22nd, 2022
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
Senator Ann Rest, the ranking DFL member of the Senate Tax Committee, discussed the competing tax proposals being considered in Minnesota amid a $9.25 billion budget surplus. She criticized the Senate Republican plan, which passed 42-24, for making a permanent income tax cut that would cost about $2 billion annually and benefit all filers, including high-income taxpayers. Rest argued that ongoing tax cuts could create future budget pressure and lead to higher property taxes, while saying the state should focus on targeted relief for middle- and lower-income families facing inflation, high heating costs, and child care expenses.
Rest also explained her support for Governor Walz’s one-time rebate proposal, which would provide $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples. She said direct payments would help families immediately with essentials like groceries and were preferable to gradual withholding reductions over several years. On Social Security, she said the Senate plan would eliminate taxes on benefits, but she favored continuing Minnesota’s current gradual inflation-adjusted increase in the Social Security subtraction rather than fully repealing the tax right away, noting that many recipients already pay little or no tax and that higher-income retirees were not the main concern.
She described the House tax bill as a more targeted and less expensive approach than the Senate plan, with provisions such as rebates for families with children, an expanded child and dependent care credit, and a modified Social Security subtraction. Rest framed the debate as a broader contrast in party priorities, saying Republicans were emphasizing tax cuts for the wealthy while DFL proposals focused on family needs and preserving fiscal flexibility in case of recession or further economic disruption. No additional votes or actions were taken in the interview.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
Week in Review: April 19-22 Apr 22nd, 2022
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
The House Ways and Means Committee spent much of the week merging omnibus bills and advancing committee proposals, including a budget resolution for $7.4 billion in supplemental funding for the current biennium. Chair Rena Moran said the state’s record budget surplus created an opportunity to address Minnesotans’ needs, while Republicans opposed the resolution as excessive spending. The resolution passed along party lines.
On Thursday, the House approved House File 3765, authored by Rep. Rick Hansen, which would appropriate nearly $71 million from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for conservation-related projects. The bill was intended to move forward projects that scored well with the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources after the commission failed to agree on fiscal year 2023 recommendations. Supporters said the bill funded worthwhile programs, while opponents questioned some of the spending priorities and the size of the appropriation.
The House passed the bill 72-60 and sent it to the Senate.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
Session Update: Senate Passes Environment Policy and Funding Bill Apr 22nd, 2022
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The Minnesota Senate held a lengthy floor session and passed Senate File 4062, the omnibus environment and natural resources policy and supplemental funding bill, by a vote of 37 to 29. Supporters framed the bill as part of the state’s ongoing commitment to environmental protection, while critics argued it did not include several priorities worked on during the session.
Opponents said the bill left out measures they viewed as important, including watercraft education, a four-walleye limit, restoring lottery proceeds to the level voters intended, and a stop-over-salting policy. They also objected to the use of Environmental Trust Fund money, arguing it should not be diverted to help fund a mechanism to improve the state’s chances of winning bids for sporting events.
The debate also touched on broader themes such as climate change, water and air pollution, chemical and oil contamination, land conservation, and ecosystem protection. No other floor actions were described beyond final passage of the bill.
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Minnesota 2021 1st Special Session
Minnesota House passes HF961 4/21/22
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
House File 961, a labor bill on third engrossment, was taken up in the House and described by Rep. Ecklund as allowing certain law enforcement supervisors in state agencies such as the State Patrol, DNR conservation, BCA, Alcohol and Gambling, and Commerce to form their own collective bargaining unit for pay and benefits. He said the bill would help supervisors keep pace with the employees they oversee, provide some protection from frivolous lawsuits and complaints during a period of heavy demands, and would not force anyone into union membership or merge supervisors with rank-and-file employees.
The bill drew supportive comments from Rep. Garofalo and Rep. Novotny, who framed it as a common-sense measure to support public safety supervisors and asked about whether it would change at-will status, pay, or pensions. Rep. Barr raised concerns about pension costs and asked which retirement system the supervisors would be in, while Rep. Drazkowski opposed the bill, arguing it was an effort to expand union rolls and criticizing public-sector unions and state spending. Ecklund responded that about 120 supervisors were covered and that pay and pension details would be negotiated if a bargaining unit were formed.
After discussion, Ecklund said the bill had endorsements and asked for a green vote. The House then took a roll call vote and passed the bill 123 to 8, with its title agreed to.