Committees worked overtime this week to hear bills before the first deadline, where bills must have been heard in their house of origin before today. This will narrow down which of the 5,600 bills introduced since the beginning of session will continue along the legislative process. Bills related to budget, tax, and bonding do not have to meet this deadline, so there likely will be more of those bills introduced.
|
|
|
So far, 13 bills have been passed by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Walz:
- HF 4 – “Driver’s license for all,” allowing undocumented Minnesotans to get driver’s licenses
- HF 28 – Felon voting restored once prison sentence is completed
- HF 213 – Emergency food shelf funding
- HF 35 – Tying inflation to the budget formula
- HF 50 – Easement and state land conveying and leasing requirements modified, state forests added to and deleted from, state parks added to, and sales and conveyances of land authorized
- SF 33 – Attorney general funding
- HF 7 – Carbon free by 2040
- HF 26 – Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding provided, and money appropriated
- SF 13 – Juneteenth (June 19) state holiday recognition
- HF 1 – Protect Reproductive Options Act; fundamental right to reproductive health established
- HF 37 – Race definition modified relating to hair styles and textures within the Minnesota Human Rights Act
- SF 40 – Iron ore mining and related industry additional unemployment benefits program establishment
- HF 31 – Federal tax conformity
|
|
|
Capital Investment Package Heads to Senate
On Monday, the House passed a $1.9 billion capital investment package. The package includes a $1.5 billion bonding bill, as well as a bill to authorize $393 million cash for construction projects. Both bills passed with broad bipartisan support — but are up for a challenge in the Senate, where Republicans are likely to oppose the borrowing bill if no tax cuts pass. DFL Senators might not be able to rely on their slim majority to pass the bonding bill (which requires a three-fifths majority). While Senate Republicans count on using the bonding bill as a bargaining chip, Senate Democrats say they will proceed with passing a cash-only bill if they fail to meet the supermajority threshold.
|
|
|
March 24: Second Committee Deadline
April 4: Third Committee Deadline
April 5-10: Legislative Break
May 22: Last day of the 2023 Legislative Session
|
|
|
