Good morning, and welcome to another Monday.
Gov. Tim Walz will temporarily transfer power to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan this afternoon while he is under general anesthesia for a preventive medical procedure. The governor's office said the transfer of power will start at 1 p.m. and will be in effect until he sends the legislative leaders a written declaration that he is again able to discharge his duties. The procedure is a colonoscopy. “I hope my procedure serves as a reminder and encouragement for Minnesotans to seek out preventative care and stay on top of your health,” Walz said in a statement. The governor will return home later Monday and is expected back in the office on Tuesday, his office said.
Don’t look now, but the legislative session is nearly half over. MPR’s Dana Ferguson reports: After two months working at a fast clip, DFLers said they’re pleased with what they’ve done so far at the Minnesota Capitol. And they feel confident that other top priorities such as a two-year budget, a paid family and medical leave program, and additional financial relief for families are still in reach. “What we accomplished is what (the voters) sent us to accomplish,” Walz said Friday, after ticking off a series of policies that the DFL trifecta at the Capitol has passed so far. “The problem we've got is we're comparing it to the gridlock and the inaction we've seen for a decade. This is the way it should be.” So far, lawmakers have approved and the governor has signed into law 12 bills and another is set to be signed into law on Tuesday. And after expediting bills in committees, both the House of Representatives and the Senate stand ready to take up dozens of bills that have come to them for a final vote. “We are passing a lot of bills. We have a lot of new laws, and we are changing lives for the better,” House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said Friday after the governor signed into law a plan to let people convicted of a felony vote after serving out their prison or jail sentence. But tougher discussions lie ahead as lawmakers craft a more than $50 billion budget, decide how to divvy up the state’s $17.5 billion budget surplus and take on a raft of policy changes over the next 10 weeks.
The House is going to try to pass a big public construction package later this afternoon. A big question is whether enough Republicans are on board, because the bill needs bipartisan support to pass. The Star Tribune has a closer look: "There will be some people who are looking to leverage something, and they may vote no on the bill," said Rep. Dean Urdahl, the GOP lead on infrastructure negotiations. "But there likely are going to be more than enough [votes] to pass the bill from Republicans." If the House and Senate both pass the bill — which remains a big if — then Gov. Walz said he would sign it into law, a spokeswoman said. One bill up for a vote Monday contains roughly $1.5 billion in borrowing. That measure, which uses general obligation bonds, requires a three-fifths supermajority to pass. In the House, that means all Democrats and at least 11 Republicans need to support it. A second construction bill would use about $400 million in cash and requires a simple majority. Work on the infrastructure deal dates back to last year, when representatives from the Walz administration, the DFL-led House and then-GOP majority in the Senate ironed out a framework. Broader political fights doomed that construction package and many other bills in 2022.
On Friday Walz signed the bill that allows convicted felons in Minnesota to vote once they are out of prison, regardless of whether they are still on probation. Supporters say it will immediately restore voting rights to more than 50,000 people. Dana had one on that too : For decades, those on probation, along with civil rights and offenders’ rights advocates, had pressed the Legislature to rewrite the law. They said the moment was gratifying and had been a long time coming. Jennifer Schroeder was sentenced to one year in jail and 40 years on probation when she was sentenced for a felony drug crime a decade ago. She said she has since gone through treatment, went back to school and now works as a drug counselor helping others who are struggling. “It's a moment that we never stopped hoping for. I and so many other people have fought very hard for this,” Schroeder said. “Thanks to this law that changes today, the voices of those who have struggled will no longer be silenced. Now I'm calling on Minnesotans who are affected by this law to make their voices heard. Go vote. Go get your red sticker and wear it proudly.” Schroeder, along with a handful of others who were unable to vote because they were on supervised release, sued the state over the old law. The Minnesota Supreme Court last month ruled that the former law was constitutional and said it would be up to the Legislature to address the issue.
Minneapolis officials are pushing $45 million in state funding to rehab, preserve and repair affordable housing. MPR’s Jon Collins reports : Minneapolis officials say the money is part of a larger effort they announced Friday to bolster public and affordable housing by collaborating with other local governments and private partners. The legislation authored by DFL Sen. Omar Fateh of Minneapolis would provide a grant to the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. The housing authority would use the one-time money to address $35 million in capital backlog on its properties. Another $10 million would be set aside for future capital work.
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