As Minnesota Legislature enters final week, Democrats race to finish priorities

By the end of next week, the DFL-controlled Minnesota Legislature could spend much of the state's surplus, legalize marijuana, toughen gun control laws and create a state-paid family and medical leave program.

Democratic lawmakers hope to cap a productive legislative session with action on these marquee bills before their May 22 deadline. Just last week, the Legislature passed a $1 billion housing bill and a higher education budget that would create a college tuition assistance program for Minnesota students whose families make less than $80,000 annually.

Late Friday night, the Senate passed a public safety bill that includes background checks for gun show sales and a procedure under which judges could remove guns from individuals determined to be dangerous. Senate Democrats united on the measure, one of the toughest tests of their one-vote majority.

The House was poised Saturday to pass the Senate public safety measure and send it to Gov. Tim Walz's desk, but at the last minute leaders adjourned the weekend session and pushed the vote to Monday.

"To Minnesotans who told us they are tired of gridlock and inaction, we heard you," Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis, said during the nine-hour debate on the legislation. "We are leading, and we are making a difference for Minnesotans."

Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, blasted Democrats for tucking the gun control measures into a much broader public safety spending bill. The full Senate hadn't previously considered the proposals, two gun-law changes long sought by Democrats that previously failed to advance under split-party control at the statehouse.

"This is a poor way to legislate," Johnson said. "This is a disgrace to this Senate institution."

Republicans in the House also aired frustrations with Democrats on Saturday, accusing DFLers of negotiating major bills behind closed doors instead of in public conference committees.

House Democrats adjourned without taking up the public safety bill, after shouting matches broke out on the floor. Republicans used long speeches and parliamentary motions to delay the chamber from voting on bills.

"It's going to be a long day, Madame Speaker!" Rep. Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, shouted at DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman.

Hortman threatened to "rule every single member of the House Republican caucus that engages in dilatory behavior out of order, and then proceed," before Democrats instead decided to adjourn.

House Democrats had intended to work through the weekend with hopes of finishing the legislative session as early as Thursday, four days before the May 22 deadline. Hortman said she wants to attend a class reunion at Harvard University's Kennedy School next weekend, giving her personal motivation to see the Legislature finish its work early.

Republicans took issue with the rushed pace.

"We have quite a list left that you need to complete your work in. I don't actually see how May 18th is possible," said House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring. "Even though it could be done, you will not get this work done in a transparent, fair process for Minnesota. That is not the way to govern."

Democrats still haven't reached final deals related to taxes, paid family and medical leave and marijuana legalization, among other things.

A conference committee formed to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate tax bills met briefly Saturday. Both bills mix tax credits and cuts with increases and one-time rebate checks.

Democrats on the taxes conference committee said the two chambers were still trading offers.

"We have a lot of really great common ground to build on between our two bills," House Taxes Committee chair Aisha Gomez, DFL-Minneapolis, said during the Saturday committee hearing. "We're going to spend the next couple days together here just trying to get closer to alignment on the places where our bills diverge from each other."

Legislators on the marijuana legalization conference committee held their first meeting Friday, quickly adopting some minor changes that had been agreed to in private. Rep. Zack Stephenson, the House sponsor, predicted that the committee will need a "handful of meetings" to finalize the bill.

Differences to be worked out include issues around at-home marijuana possession and the tax rate for cannabis products.

"It is my expectation, intention, desire that this bill will be on the governor's desk before the end of this legislative session," said Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids. "We are going to deliver this bill for the people of Minnesota this year."

Staff writers Rochelle Olson and Jessie Van Berkel contributed to this report.