As we watch the Minnesota Legislature attempt to finalize the state’s next two-year budget, one has to wonder what it would sound like if we were to update the famous Schoolhouse Rock song about how a bill becomes a law. For starters, “Bill” would no longer be dancing on the Capitol steps in our new version. Instead, he would be behind closed doors on a Zoom call, out of the public eye.
Legislating has never been a totally linear a process, but this year it especially seems like our state government is far afield from the eighth-grade civics textbook understanding of how governmental bodies should function.
So, what do we know and what can we expect from the next week of legislative “activity”?
We know Gov. Walz intends to call the Legislature back into special session on June 14 to extend his emergency powers. The need to call a special session to deal with the emergency powers issue while the budget remains unresolved presents an unusual situation. Under normal circumstances, the Governor would wait to call a special session until there is an agreed upon agenda and outcome. However, that will not be the case this time, creating more unpredictability and potential drama.
We also know there are signs that things have not been going smoothly as working groups try to button up their respective budget bills. Over the past week we have seen several instances where committee chairs have traded offers in public through the press, basically trying to show how much they have compromised and prove that the chair on the other side is the obstacle to progress. As we talk with legislators and legislative staff in recent weeks, we hear time and again that bills previously considered complete (or close to complete) in reality remain unfinished.
We are hearing contradictory things about the extent to which the “Big Three,” “The Tribunal” or “The Hydra” — pick your preferred name for the Governor, Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman — are personally involved in negotiations on specific budget bills. If they are not directly involved in finalizing the bills yet, they likely will be soon.
Another delay to progress seems to be the fact that many of the non-partisan staff members who draft the bills and cross the ‘Ts’ and dot the ‘Is’ are on vacation.
While there had been talk of the possibility of a one-day special session, it is almost certain that many of the budget bills will not be done or ready to be voted on by Monday. Legislative leaders such as House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt have indicated that once the special session begins, legislators should be prepared to stick it out until the end of June (or beyond) to pass the budget. There is no reason the Legislature should not be able to finish by the July 1 deadline, but it is likely that it could go right to the wire to get everything wrapped up.
As the special session begins next week in a newly re-opened Capitol, we will be there fighting to ensure that Greater Minnesota priorities are addressed in the budget.
