Minnesota Legislature adjourns, with much of its work undone
The Minnesota Legislature adjourned late Monday night with much of its work unfinished, a day after Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders struck a $48 billion deal on the state’s next two-year budget.
Despite a tentative compromise that funds schools, parks, public health care and other services for the next two years, the DFL-controlled House and the GOP Senate majority proved unable to pass the bills that put the deal on paper before the constitutional deadline to adjourn Monday at midnight. The two sides were also still debating dozens of policy disagreements on contentious issues ranging from education and paid medical leave to abortion and guns.
House and Senate negotiators met Monday to fill in the details on the leaders’ broad framework. With time running out, legislative leaders tentatively planned a special session Thursday to hammer out final budget agreements through a series of conference committees or “working groups.” But with no hard timeline after adjournment, it remained unclear Monday when lawmakers would return to the Capitol to complete the work.
Amid the confusion, Walz celebrated an overall budget deal that averted the first government shutdown since 2011, even if it was clear that party leaders still had some work to do to sell Sunday’s bargain.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/hours-before-adjournment-uncertainty-at-capitol-despite-budget-deal/510195452/