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The 2024 Legislative Session convened on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 — and legislators have until Monday, May 20, 2024, to finish their work. Because the legislature passed and the governor signed a two-year budget during the 2023 legislative session, the focus will be on capital investment (a bonding bill), more substantive policy issues, technical changes (fixes) to last year’s budget bills, and potentially a small supplemental budget.
Monday’s session started with brief floor sessions in both bodies. The Senate Human Services Committee heard a human services budget overview and the House Taxes Committee met to discuss the 2023 Tax Bill Technical Corrections Bill.
House and Senate Committees are beginning to meet regularly. For a full list of committee hearings, please visit the Combined Legislative Meeting Calendar.
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SENATE LEADERSHIP UPDATE
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In early February, Senator Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis) announced that she was stepping down as Senate Majority Leader, citing a return of a cancer diagnosis. She clarified that she would remain in the state senate. On Feb. 6, the Senate DFL Caucus elected Senator Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) as the new Senate Majority Leader. This shift in leadership does not change the 34-33 make-up of the senate, with new Senate Majority Leader Murphy managing a one-seat majority.
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BUDGET FORECAST
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In December 2023, the office that oversees the state budget, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), released the November Forecast. State law requires the MMB Commissioner to prepare a forecast of state revenue and expenditures in February and November of each year. These forecasts help the governor and the legislature prepare the biennial and supplemental budgets. The 2023 November forecast projected a $2.4 billion surplus for Fiscal Years 2024-25 but also showed a structural imbalance in future fiscal years due to a projected spending increase in health and human services and education.
The February forecast, released in early March, will give the governor and legislature updated projections with which to build their supplemental budget proposals. Note: Minnesota is not required to pass a supplemental budget.
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CAPITAL INVESTMENT/BONDING
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Legislative leaders have communicated that passing a capital investment bill this session will be a top priority. Because capital investment bonding bills require a three-fifths super majority vote to pass, passage will require bi-partisan support.
The House Capital Investment Committee received an overview of Gov. Tim Walz’s $982 million bonding proposal for 2024. The plan covers a diverse range of projects and proposes to allocate nearly half of its funding to preserving existing state infrastructure, including substantial investments in water and transportation systems, public safety, housing, and environmental initiatives.
As is customary, the committee took no action on the initiative and is expected to advance its own recommendations in a bill later this session.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the highlights of Gov. Walz’s plan:
- $440 million for preserving state infrastructure (45%)
- $206 million for University of Minnesota and Minnesota State systems buildings
- $215 million for water and transportation infrastructure (22%)
- $119 million for grants and low-interest loans to replace lead pipes
- $28 million for PFAs removal (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as “forever chemicals”)
- $142 million public safety infrastructure (14%)
- $22.4 million for new Minnesota State Patrol Headquarters building
- $97 million for housing infrastructure (10%)
- $16 million for Minneapolis Veterans Home updates
- $85 million for other infrastructure (9%)
- Approximately $40 million is set aside for local government projects
Gov. Walz’s proposal follows last year’s historic $2.6 billion investment package. Amid economic uncertainties, the governor’s bonding proposal for 2024 prioritizes a smaller list of projects. Requests from state agencies and local units of governments total more than $7.6 billion.
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CLARIFICATION ON SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER LAW
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Legislation to clarify the 2023 law that led to uncertainty about the use of school resource officers began to advance this week in both the House and Senate.
HF3489 (Frazier)/SF3534 (Westlin) clarifies the use of prone restraint for school resource officers (SROs) and establishes training requirements for SROs, policy requirements for law enforcement agencies, and contract requirements for agreements between schools or districts and law enforcement agencies for providing SROs.
The House Education Policy Committee heard the bill the first day of session and advanced it to the House Public Safety Committee. That committee heard the bill but laid it over for further consideration. The Senate Education Policy Committee also heard the bill, and it heads next to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it is scheduled for a hearing next week.
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END-OF-LIFE OPTION ACT
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Even before the start of the legislative session, the House Health Committee met in late January to hear several hours of testimony on the “End-of-Life Option Act,” HF1930(Freiberg), which would allow an individual to request medical aid in dying medication, provided certain requirements are met. Among those are the person:
- is at least 18 years of age;
- has a terminal disease with a prognosis of no more than six months to live;
- is determined to be mentally capable as defined in statute; and
- is not subject to guardianship or conservatorship.
HF 1930 was passed by the House Health Committee 10-5 and referred to the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, which has not yet scheduled a hearing on the bill.
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DATES TO REMEMBER
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Committee Deadlines
The House and Senate have adopted committee deadlines. Here are the two deadlines for the 2024 session:
- Friday, March 22: Committees in both bodies must act favorably on bills that are not major appropriation or finance bills.
- Friday, April 19: Committees in both bodies must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.
Legislative Recess
The legislature will recess for the observance of Easter, Eid, and Passover during the 2024 regular session. Both the Senate and House will remain open — but no committee meetings or floor sessions will take place during these times.
- Easter recess
- Begins on Wednesday, March 27 at 5 p.m.
- Legislative activities resume on Tuesday, April 2 at 12 Noon
- Eid recess (may change based on religious practice and the lunar calendar)
- Begins on Tuesday, April 9 at 5 p.m.
- Legislative activities resume on Thursday, April 11 at 12 Noon
- Passover recess
- All day on Monday, April 22 and Tuesday, April 23
- Legislative activities resume on Wednesday, April 24 at 12 Noon
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LEGISLATIVE RETIREMENTS
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For an up-to-date list of legislative retirements, please visit the Legislative Reference Library’s list of retirements. Two members have left the legislature since the 2023 Legislative Session adjourned in May 2023:
- Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights) resigned Sept. 1, 2023. This seat was won by Rep. Bianca Virnig (DFL-Eagan) who was seated on Jan. 12, 2024.
- Former Speaker and House Minority Leader Rep. Kurt Daudt resigned Feb. 11, 2024. Gov. Walz set the date for a special election to fill this seat as Tuesday, March 19 — with Thursday, Feb. 29 as the date (if needed) for a special primary election. Affidavits of candidacy and nominating petitions for the seat must be filed from Wed, Feb. 14, 2024, until 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024.
Other notable retirements include:
- Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, current House Judiciary and Public Safety Chair
- Rep. Pat Garofalo, current minority lead, House Ways and Means
- Rep. Deb Kiel, current minority lead, House Human Services Policy
- Rep. Liz Olson, current House Ways and Means Chair
- Rep. Gene Pelowski, current Higher Education Chair and most senior House member
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