Video & Transcript Research : '919'
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MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
State of the State preview with House Republican Whip Jim Nash (R-Waconia) Apr 27th, 2026
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
A House Republican Caucus member described the state of Minnesota as “fraudulent” and “expensive,” arguing that the state is leading the nation in fraud-related headlines and that taxpayers are being burdened by higher taxes, fees, and spending. He said the caucus sees affordability and fraud prevention as its main priorities, along with pushing single-subject bills and strengthening oversight through the Legislative Auditor and the fraud committee.
He said the caucus is focused on rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse and believes ordinary constituents want answers about whether reported fraud numbers are real and how they affect them. He suggested that pressure near the end of session and the upcoming election could lead some DFL lawmakers to support more “reasonable” anti-fraud policies.
Asked what he hoped to hear from the governor’s State of the State address, he said he wanted Governor Walz to take responsibility for the fraud problem, saying he had not yet heard a full acknowledgment of responsibility from the governor’s office. He also characterized the governor as a lame-duck leader trying to shape his legacy.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
State of the State preview with House DFL Floor Leader Jamie Long (DFL-Minneapolis) Apr 27th, 2026
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
The discussion focused on the upcoming State of the State address and the DFL’s priorities for the remainder of the session. Jamie Long described the speech as a special event in the House chamber and said Minnesota is in good shape overall, crediting Governor Walz with steady leadership through recent challenges, including Operation Metro Surge, economic pressures, and calls for action on gun violence after the Annunciation shooting.
Long said the caucus’s main focus is the cost of living, especially rising gas, food, housing, child care, and health care costs. He said the DFL is pursuing proposals to lower prescription drug prices, limit corporate homebuying, and reduce child care costs, and he emphasized that these issues have broad public support even if they face resistance in the Legislature. He said the caucus hopes to win bipartisan support for these measures.
On the governor’s legacy, Long praised Walz as a strong partner to the Legislature and pointed to the 2023 and 2024 sessions as among the most impactful in state history. He cited accomplishments including investments in public schools, paid family and medical leave, 100% clean energy, and gun violence prevention, and said Walz can be proud of his eight years leading Minnesota.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Expanded burial rights in veterans cemetery gets committee approval 4/27/26
Summary:
The committee heard House File 3532, authored by Rep. Olson, which would adjust eligibility for burial in Minnesota state cemeteries. Olson explained that current law generally requires 181 days of active military service, and argued that this excludes many long-serving National Guard, Air Guard, and Reserve members who may not have had uninterrupted active-duty time despite years of service. The bill would allow burial eligibility for individuals who complete an entire contract with an honorable discharge, or who die while serving.
Members spoke in support, saying Guard and Reserve service should be recognized regardless of whether members were called up for active duty and that their assigned status should not affect burial rights or benefits. One member also praised the bill as an example of representative democracy and thanked Olson for bringing forward an issue close to affected service members.
The committee then voted to recommend House File 3532 be placed on the general register. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition noted.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session 4/27/26 - Part 1
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a roll call establishing a quorum, approval of the prior day’s journal, adoption of committee reports, and the first readings of several House and Senate files. The chamber also received Senate File 476, which was referred to Ways and Means, and Senate File 4807, which was sent for comparison with a House file. The Speaker announced members to escort the Governor to the joint convention on April 28.
The main floor action was House File 3489, an education bill establishing field trip supervision rules and creating the criminal offense of grooming. Representative Bennett described the bill as a response to survivor testimony and explained that it would prohibit staff from being alone with students in certain circumstances, create felony penalties for grooming, make grooming grounds for educator license discipline, add grooming to mandatory reporting and training, and allow the Department of Education to look back further in investigations. Bennett and several members also noted the bill’s fiscal note, including added investigative staffing and prison costs.
During debate, multiple members from both parties voiced support, emphasizing student safety, mandatory reporter training, clearer field trip rules, and better communication with licensing boards. Several members thanked survivor Hannah LaPresto and Detective Chad Clausen for their work and testimony, and some members stressed that grooming is a deliberate process and that the bill is intended to protect children without vilifying educators. Representative Jordan also highlighted prevention through education about consent and grooming. No amendments were offered, and the bill was given its third reading; members repeatedly urged a green vote, though the transcript provided does not include the final roll-call result.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House passes bill establishing grooming as a felony criminal offense 4/27/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
House File 3489, an education bill establishing field trip supervision rules and creating the criminal offense of grooming, was debated on the House floor. Representative Bennett described the bill as a response to student sexual grooming, saying it would prohibit staff from being isolated alone with students except in limited circumstances, create a felony offense for child grooming, add grooming to mandatory reporting and educator discipline rules, require enhanced reporter training, and allow the Department of Education to look back further than three years in investigations. He also noted an ongoing fiscal cost of a little over $1.4 million, largely tied to additional investigative staff and anticipated prison-bed costs.
Several members spoke in support, including Representatives Bakeberg, Jordan, Altendorf, Ryer, Knudson, and Mueller. They emphasized protecting children, strengthening field-trip safeguards, improving communication with licensing boards, and training educators to recognize grooming behavior. Multiple members thanked Hannah LaPresto and Detective Chad Clausen for their work and testimony, and several referenced Hannah’s survivor story as central to the bill’s development. Some members also stressed that the bill was not aimed at the teaching profession generally, but at bad actors who exploit trust and authority.
The discussion repeatedly highlighted survivor testimony and the need to believe victims, with some members calling for broader prevention efforts such as education on consent and grooming. Representative Bennett and others said the bill was necessary because grooming is often hidden and can take years to disclose. After debate, the House took the roll, and the bill passed 133-0 with its title agreed to.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session 4/27/26 - Part 2
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
The House first took up House File 1794, which would remove the post-graduate collaborative practice requirement for advanced practice registered nurses. The author and several supporters argued the bill would reduce barriers to practice, improve access to primary care and mental health services, especially in rural areas, and align Minnesota with other states. Supporters cited backing from APRN organizations and said the Board of Nursing had no concerns, while opponents, led by Representative Liebling, argued the current one-year collaborative period is a patient-safety safeguard that gives new APRNs needed experience working with physicians before practicing independently. After debate and questions about how the current requirement works in practice, the House passed the bill 119-12.
The House then considered House File 4595, which changes licensure reciprocity rules for marriage and family therapists. Representative Schumacher said the bill would expand access to mental health care at no cost by making it easier for qualified out-of-state therapists to obtain Minnesota licenses, eliminating a five-year waiting period and other barriers while maintaining standards through background checks and a jurisprudence exam. Supporters, including Representatives Bierman and Gilman, emphasized workforce shortages and the value of more therapy access for families and relationships. The Board of Marriage and Family Therapy was noted as neutral, and the bill passed unanimously, 133-0.
Finally, the House began debate on House File 4493, which would authorize pharmacists to initiate, prescribe, administer, and dispense certain drugs for opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine/Suboxone. Representative Baker said the bill would save lives by allowing people to access treatment immediately through local pharmacies, especially in greater Minnesota, and help them through withdrawal when they are most likely to seek help. The transcript cuts off during the opening of discussion on this bill, before any vote or final action is shown.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House lawmakers advance bill to boost spending on Capitol security 4/27/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
The committee took up House File 3230, a security package combining several bills related to political and Capitol security. Members first adopted the DE6 amendment, described as reflecting the negotiated allocation and appropriations language, and then heard Chair Mullen explain that the bill covers judicial security and courthouse grants, continued Capitol grounds screening, hardware and hardening improvements, legislative services home security, temporary local law enforcement support for credible threats, a new task force, funding for the BCA threat assessment team, and DPS deficiency funding tied to recent events.
Discussion focused largely on the balance between security and public access. Representative West objected to the Capitol screening and metal detectors, arguing the Capitol is the “people’s house” and questioning the cost and fairness of the measures; he also asked whether the bill changed who controls Capitol security. In response, members said the scanners were not created by this bill but were already decided by the governor and security commission, and that the bill includes a provision clarifying the chain of command and training responsibilities. Other members supported the package as a necessary response to political violence and threats, emphasizing protection for lawmakers, staff, visitors, and the public.
After discussion, the committee renewed the motion to place House File 3230, as amended, on the general register. The motion passed without opposition.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House lawmakers push to fund weather-resiliency program for Minnesota homes 4/27/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
House File 4223 was presented as an appropriation to implement and jump-start the Strengthening Our Homes program enacted in 2023. Rep. Elkins said the goal is to help homeowners strengthen roofs using standards promoted by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, citing other states such as Alabama as examples where hardened homes performed better in major storms. He emphasized rising homeowners insurance costs, especially for affordable apartments, older condo buildings, and seniors on fixed or limited incomes, and said the grants would help people who may not have the upfront cash to make improvements.
Committee members generally supported the concept, describing it as a way to reduce storm damage and lower insurance premiums. One member highlighted that the income threshold for grant eligibility could reach a large share of Minnesota homeowners and potentially harden nearly a million homes, while another noted the program’s focus on lower-income households. A Commerce Committee discussion was referenced in which an alternative approach was raised: tax incentives, including possible sales tax relief, for materials and labor used to harden homes against hail and other weather risks.
Rep. Elkins responded that labor is an important part of the cost and that many potential beneficiaries are seniors with little taxable income, making a grant program more practical than a tax-based incentive. Another member agreed the upfront cost is a major barrier and said the grant design appears thoughtful. No vote was taken; the bill was laid over for further discussion.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee approves $41.13 million budget resolution 4/27/26
Summary:
Nonpartisan staff presented House budget resolution BUDRES06, explaining that it is an updated budgetary solution reflecting bills previously heard or passed out of Ways and Means, as well as bills being heard that day. The resolution showed a total additional change of $41.1 million for the 2026–27 biennium, with existing budget reserve and cash flow account amounts unchanged. Staff highlighted several committee bills included in the resolution, including elections, higher education, housing, public safety, and the workforce committee bill, which was listed at $358,000 on line 1.14. The workforce bill also included $41,000 from the workforce development fund outside the general fund, and the healthcare access fund was set at a zero-change limit.
A member asked whether additional budget resolutions were expected later in session, and staff responded that more resolutions would be set as other packages moved out of committee. After the explanation and brief questions, a motion was made to adopt the budget resolution as described. Members voiced support, there were no recorded oppositions, and the resolution was adopted.
MN
Summary:
The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a performance of the national anthem, then established a quorum and approved the previous day’s journal. Members handled routine business including second readings of several Senate files, first readings of House files 5067 through 5073, and messages from the Senate transmitting bills and requesting concurrence on House File 3437 and House File 1410. The House concurred in Senate amendments to HF 3437, a commerce bill with a technical cross-reference correction, and passed it 133-0. It also concurred in Senate amendments to HF 1410, a public safety bill on correctional officer procedures, and passed it 132-2 after members described the changes as clarifying and balanced for labor and management.
The chamber then took up House File 3404, which increases penalties for impersonating a peace officer. The bill would raise the base offense from a gross misdemeanor to a felony, create aggravated offenses for impersonation involving unauthorized access, misleading orders, law-enforcement-style vehicles, or possession of a firearm, and add a duty for officers to identify themselves while protecting undercover work. Supporters, including the author and several members, tied the bill to the June 14, 2025 killings and said it was needed to restore public trust and protect both the public and legitimate law enforcement. The House passed HF 3404 134-0 after a moment of silence.
The House also passed House File 3155, which closes a loophole in gift card fraud law by allowing prosecution based on the value stored on the card rather than just the plastic card itself. Supporters described organized retail crime schemes in which stolen gift cards are drained after activation and said the bill would help retailers, consumers, and law enforcement. The bill passed 134-0. Senate File 3958, which changes the deadline for a disaster assistance contingency account report from January 15 to January 31, also passed 134-0.
Finally, the House considered House File 3875, the judiciary policy bill. An author’s amendment removed a section that had been unintentionally left in the bill, and members then discussed provisions allowing courts more flexibility in publishing notices, streamlining some notification requirements in dissolution cases, and making restitution orders permanent unless rescinded by court order. The transcript cuts off during discussion of the bill, before any final vote is shown.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Gov. Tim Walz's tax policy proposals heard in House Taxes Committee 4/23/26
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on House File 5055, the governor’s supplemental tax budget. Commissioner of Revenue Paul Marquart outlined the proposal as a balanced budget package that would leave a positive bottom line in the current biennium and beyond. He emphasized family-focused tax relief, especially a new refundable young child credit for children ages 0 to 4, which would provide up to $3,000 for one child or $6,000 for two or more, benefit about 104,000 families, and phase out at higher incomes. He also described federal conformity changes, including updates to business interest deductions, dependent care credits, and Section 179 expensing, along with omitted federal items such as research expensing and opportunity zones due to cost and policy concerns.
Marquart also defended broader tax modernization proposals, including expanding the sales tax to selected consumer services such as accounting, banking, brokerage, and legal services while lowering the statewide sales tax rate, and creating a social media tax on consumer data collection that would fund an AI readiness special revenue fund rather than the general fund. He said these changes would make the sales tax less regressive and better aligned with the modern economy. Additional provisions mentioned included a gun-related gross receipts tax on firearms and ammunition, cannabis tax technical changes, historic structure rehabilitation conformity, and added auditors for tax compliance.
Testimony from outside groups was mixed. Nan Madden of the Minnesota Budget Project supported the governor’s approach as a response to federal tax and spending changes, praised the decision not to conform to opportunity zones or federal no-tax-on-tips/overtime provisions, and urged even stronger revenue measures. Brian Lake of the Minnesota State Bar Association strongly opposed the proposed sales tax on consumer legal services, arguing it would burden low- and middle-income people in sensitive cases and create unfairness when individuals litigate against the state. Tanner Fritsinger of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees supported the sales tax base expansion and the social media tax as ways to broaden revenue without raising the base rate. The committee chair thanked the commissioner and then began hearing public testimony, with additional testifiers queued up.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House passes bill to ban 'nudification technology' 4/23/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
House File 1606, as amended, was debated on the House floor as a bill to prohibit access to nudification technology and related AI-generated sexual deepfakes. Representative Hansen, the bill’s author, described the measure as a response to non-consensual, sexually explicit images and videos, especially harms to children and women, and said the bill would define nudified content, require nudifying features on apps and websites to be turned off in Minnesota, bar promotion of such apps, and create enforcement and remedies. Supporters emphasized testimony from survivors, the rapid growth of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, and the need for state action because federal regulation has lagged. Opponents of the amendment argued the underlying bill should remain a clean, single-issue measure focused on non-consensual content creation and warned that adding age-verification language would complicate the bill and add cost.
Representative Bakeberg offered amendment A4, which would add age-verification requirements for commercial adult-content sites, with privacy limits for adults and enforcement mechanisms including audits and attorney general authority. Supporters of the amendment said it would extend existing physical-world protections for minors into the digital space, cited legal support from a Texas case and similar laws in other states, and argued it would help protect children from online pornography. Representative Hansen opposed the amendment, saying she had not been consulted, that it would muddy the bill’s focus on non-consensual nudification, and that it would add fiscal cost. Other members spoke both for and against the amendment, with some saying the issues were related and others saying the amendment was not ready and should be handled separately.
The House then took a roll call on amendment A4, and it failed on a 67-67 tie. After the amendment was not adopted, the bill was given its third reading. In closing remarks, supporters of the underlying bill reiterated that it was intended to protect victims and prevent harm before it occurs, while one member said the bill did not go far enough because it targeted software makers rather than the people creating and distributing the material. The transcript ends with further discussion of the bill’s purpose and support for moving it forward.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House OKs omnibus commerce bill that includes cryptocurrency kiosk ban 4/23/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
House File 4188, the commerce omnibus policy bill, was presented as a consumer-protection measure covering several areas: a statewide ban on crypto ATMs/kiosks beginning August 1, 2026; new recordkeeping and complaint-handling requirements; student loan borrower protections; restrictions on deceptive insurance advertising and insurance lead generators; bullion dealer jurisdiction clarifications; appraisal and appraisal management reporting requirements; scrap metal transaction tracking; collection agency clarifications; and unclaimed property improvements. The bill author said the overall goal was to address real consumer harm, especially scams and transparency issues.
Representative O'Driscoll urged adoption of the A3 amendment, explaining that it removed tax provisions that had come late in the process and could be handled in the tax bill instead. The amendment was adopted without objection. During floor debate on the bill, Representative Roach opposed the crypto kiosk ban, saying the state could regulate fraud without eliminating the machines entirely. Representative O'Driscoll defended the ban as necessary to protect older and vulnerable Minnesotans from scam tactics, and Representative McDonald raised concerns about a separate scrap metal licensing provision and a $500 late fee, which Representative Holland said had been recommended by the Department of Commerce.
After discussion, the bill author reiterated support for the measure and thanked committee and staff members. The House then took a roll call vote and passed House File 4188 as amended by a vote of 122-12, with its title agreed to.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House passes bill to toughen penalties for impersonating police 4/23/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Summary:
The House took up House File 3404, a public safety bill to increase penalties for impersonating a peace officer. The author explained that the bill raises the base offense from a gross misdemeanor to a felony, creates tougher aggravated offenses for impersonation involving unauthorized access, misleading orders, or a vehicle resembling a squad car, adds a new aggravated offense for impersonation while armed with a firearm, and establishes sentencing consequences when a person commits another serious crime while impersonating an officer. The bill also includes a duty-to-identify requirement for Minnesota peace officers, with an exception for undercover work.
Several members spoke in support, tying the bill to the June 14, 2025 events and emphasizing the danger of using police impersonation to gain trust and access. Supporters said the measure is needed to protect the public, restore confidence in law enforcement, and deter pranks or deliberate deception that could lead to serious harm. Testimony from law enforcement groups and 19 suburban cities was cited as backing for the bill, and the author thanked stakeholders and staff for helping shape the final version.
After discussion, the author requested a moment of silence before the vote. The House then took a roll call vote and passed the bill 134-0, with its title agreed to.
MN
Summary:
The House convened with prayer by Deacon Bruce Richards of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Waconia, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a roll call establishing a quorum. The journal from the previous day was approved, and reports from standing committees and divisions were adopted without objection. The chamber then moved through second readings of several House Files, introduced House Files 5051 through 5066, and received multiple Senate Files for first reading.
Several Senate Files were referred to committees or paired with House Files for comparison, including SF 1943 (commerce), SF 2691 (housing), SF 4282 (forecast adjustments), and SF 4760 (public safety). The House also received a Rules and Legislative Administration report designating a number of bills for the April 23 calendar and requiring pre-filing of amendments for those measures. The Speaker announced a Senate message seeking House concurrence on amendments related to HF 3437.
During announcements, Representative Hansen noted Arbor Day tree distribution plans and invited members to help prepare trees the next day. Representative Lilly offered birthday wishes to Representative O'Driscoll. Representative Niska announced a safety drill after adjournment and moved to adjourn the House until 1:00 p.m. Thursday, April 23, 2026; both the adjournment-time motion and the motion to adjourn prevailed.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House Taxes Committee weighs bill to rescind Rochester sports complex funding 4/22/26
Summary:
Representative Hicks presented House File 4194, which would change how Rochester’s approved local option sales tax funds could be used for a regional athletics facility. Hicks argued the city’s 2023 ballot materials promised substantial community and stakeholder engagement and an indoor/outdoor community recreation complex, but that the project shifted to an outdoor-only plan without meaningful public input. She said the bill was needed to center Rochester residents’ voices and prevent a precedent of approved projects being changed after the vote.
Rochester City Council President Randy Schubring opposed the bill, saying the city is following the 2023 authorization and building as much as possible within the approved funding. He said the ballot question passed with 53% support and urged the committee not to overturn local election results, while asking lawmakers to work with the city and Rochester delegation on the remaining funding shortfall. Testifier Kamau Wilkins also opposed the city’s current direction, saying voters were promised indoor recreation facilities but are now getting mostly outdoor baseball diamonds, which he described as a bait-and-switch.
Several members supported Hicks’ concerns, saying legislators have a duty to ensure local sales tax projects match what voters were told. Representative Lee raised a broader issue about legislative oversight of local option sales taxes and referenced a possible St. Paul-related fix. Hicks closed by saying she supported the tax originally but no longer believes the project matches what voters approved. The committee then laid House File 4194 over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Aid for rural Minnesota public TV stations stalls in House committee 4/22/26
Summary:
House File 3936 was heard as an appropriation bill for public television stations serving Greater Minnesota. The author described it as a bipartisan one-time funding proposal totaling support for Pioneer Public Television, Lakeland Public Television, KSMQ, PBS North, and Prairie Public Television, and argued the stations were under financial strain after federal public broadcasting cuts and could potentially go dark without state help. Supporters emphasized the stations’ importance for children, community connection, emergency information, and representation in rural areas.
Several members spoke in favor of the bill, while others said they supported the substance but opposed advancing it because of concerns that it was linked to a controversial Senate omnibus bill. The discussion focused less on the merits of public television funding and more on whether the House should move the bill forward given the Senate situation. One member requested a roll call vote, and the chair noted an understanding that the House would avoid “shenanigans” and keep the bill clean.
The committee voted 13-12 in favor of the motion to refer the bill to the general register, but the chair ruled that the motion failed because the agreement required a majority of the committee to move it forward. As a result, House File 3936 remained with the committee and was not advanced.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Ways and Means Committee approves Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund bill 4/22/26
Summary:
The committee took up House File 3426, the annual LCCMR appropriation bill funding projects from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF), which is supported by state lottery proceeds and does not affect the general fund. The bill was described as containing 108 appropriations totaling $102.036 million, including 11 extensions of prior appropriations, and a new community grants program funded at $28.18 million under the constitutional limit. The author noted the bill is the second year of funding after the 2024 voter-approved amendment renewing the ENRTF and community grants program.
Members discussed the bill’s scope and purpose, including projects for scientific research, PFAS mitigation and testing, rapid testing for chronic wasting disease, parks and trails, outdoor recreation, and solid waste/recycling innovation. Co-Chair Heintzeman said the bill had involved many conversations, thanked the author for working with the caucus, and noted that a missing project issue had been addressed to improve the bill’s path forward. He also said statutory changes were being made to the community grants program to reduce fraud risk and incorporate suggestions from the Office of the Legislative Auditor.
Co-Chair Koznick asked about whether lottery-funded ENRTF dollars had ever been considered for proportional returns to districts, but the author said he was not aware of such discussions and emphasized that the fund benefits all Minnesotans through projects across the state. After no further questions, the chair renewed the motion to recommend House File 3426 for placement on the general register, and the committee approved it by voice vote with no opposition recorded.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security 4/20/26
Summary:
The Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security met on April 20, 2026, with a quorum present and adopted the January 13, 2026 minutes. The chair thanked the State Patrol, sergeants-at-arms, and capital security officers for their work during the session, and noted that the committee’s earlier recommendations were reflected in Governor’s Executive Order 2602, including weapon screening at the State Capitol. The chair also said the committee’s annual report included recommendations for bonding, policy, and budget changes, and expressed hope the legislature would act on them.
Department of Public Safety and State Patrol officials reported that implementation of weapon screening had gone well overall and said they were continuing to gather feedback for improvements. Colonel Bogayevich said that since the start of session, 121,598 people had been screened at the Capitol’s entrances, 548 permits were verified, and 52 prohibited items were turned away. Examples of prohibited items included knives, a camping/marshmallow skewer, and a screwdriver; no firearms were found in the Capitol building. She also said the busiest day produced a wait of about 15 to 17 minutes, and that staffing was adjusted to handle larger groups such as school tours.
The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms reported that 49,277 people had come through Senate screening as of the previous Friday, including 196 concealed carry permits, and that 2,359 people had entered the West Gallery to observe Senate proceedings. He also said some Senate building access doors had been reduced to direct traffic and that an audit of key card access had begun. The House Deputy Chief Sergeant-at-Arms reported about 1,400 people had been screened for the House gallery, and noted that an NCSL visitor from Oregon would shadow House security staff to learn from Minnesota’s approach. Members from both bodies praised the professionalism of security staff and said the added trooper presence made members and the public feel safer.
No members of the public signed up to testify, so the public comment period closed without testimony. The meeting adjourned after the chair reiterated that the goal of the security measures was to allow visitors, members, and public servants to participate safely.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Proposed new regulations on mopeds and motorcycles approved in House Ways and Means Committee Apr 20th, 2026
Summary:
The committee took up House File 3785, a bill from Representative DePauw dealing with classification issues for electric bicycles and electric motorcycles. DePauw said the bill responds to concerns raised by a constituent, the Department of Public Safety, insurance companies, and law enforcement about the lack of a clear category for electric motorcycles and the need for clearer rules on where these vehicles may be used and how accidents and liability are handled. Several members spoke in support of the bill’s safety and education benefits, while also noting that the issue is still evolving and may need further work before final passage.
The committee first considered and adopted the DePauw A11 amendment, described as a technical amendment to allow the Department of Natural Resources to use appropriated money or license-fee revenue for signage. Fiscal staff explained that the DNR has a $30,000 cost and $32,000 in offsetting revenue in a special revenue fund, but cannot access that revenue without a direct appropriation, making the amendment necessary. Representative Frazier noted the bill still needs additional work and confirmed with DePauw that further changes would be made before the bill reaches the floor.
After discussion, including comments about the growing use of e-bikes by seniors, people with disabilities, commuters, and families, the committee voted to advance House File 3785 as amended. The motion to refer the bill to the general register passed on a voice vote, with no opposition recorded.