STINSON: 2022 Session Grinds to an Unproductive End
The Minnesota Legislature ran out the clock last night with many big ticket issues left on the table. The House and Senate were unable to find agreement on HHS spending, K12 education, public safety, transportation and bonding. While they came to agreement on taxes, the House refused to move the bill until all of the outstanding budget bills passed. Several other conference committee reports were agreed upon, but not moved. None of the outstanding bills need to pass, as the legislature passed their budget bills last year.
However, with the large budget surplus came large expectations—expectations of tax cuts, expectations of rebate checks, and expectations of large scale investments. The priority issues for each legislative caucus proved too difficult to overcome, particularly in the areas of HHS and public safety.
Special Session?
Prospects for a special session are up in the air. House leadership has stated that they want to come back to finish work on the outstanding bills, and Governor Walz has also moved off of his previous position of no special session and indicated his openness to calling one. Senate leadership has stated repeatedly they have no interest in a special session.
The leaders met today to see if a resolution could be found and determined collectively that a short cooling-off period was needed. If a special session is called, look for pre-negotiated bills and no amendments, and a wildcard of the House GOP. They are the most opposed to a special session and will be unlikely to play ball on suspending the rules to move bills in a quicker fashion, or to agree to offer no amendments. Look for a decision late this week or after the Memorial Day weekend.
What did get done?
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HF3420, Agriculture/Drought relief/Broadband bill
- Notable provisions within the agreement include establishing a number of new programs and policies within the Department of Agriculture, providing drought relief. The bill also gives support to broadband access through a $25 million appropriation to the Border-to-Border Broadband Fund, and requests that $60.7 million of Minnesota’s capital projects fund be utilized for projects related to broadband.
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HF3872, Higher Education bill
- The conference committee agreement on HF3872 appropriates an additional $20 million in supplemental spending, some of which is geared towards bolstering workforce development programs, growing the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program, and funding a pilot project for an Inclusive Higher Education Technical Assistance Center.
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SF4065, Health & Human Services Policy bill
- The HHS policy agreement contains provisions allowing temporary permits for physicians, respiratory therapists and other professionals to practice while their background studies are completed, and new exceptions to the state’s hospital bed moratorium specifically for mental health services
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HF2725, Mental Health Bill
- This package includes new funding for a number of areas, including new school based services and a number of programs intended to assist and develop more mental health providers.
What is still outstanding?
· Taxes HF3669—language is agreed upon, but the bill wasn't moved out of committee.
· Environment SF4062—language is agreed upon but conference report not taken up on either floor.
· Jobs/Energy/Commerce SF4091—language is agreed upon, Senate adopted the committee report and then laid it on the table prior to final passage.
· Health & Human Services Finance
· K12 Education
· State Government Finance/State Government Finance
· Public Safety
· Capital Investment
