Twins win – 12 in a row.
Lynx win.
This extra edition of morning take is focused on the Minnesota Legislature. Our regular content will resume Monday.
We’ll have the latest on the session and budget deal on Sunday Take at 9AM on WCCO Radio. Tune-in.
Blois
TIPS: BloisOlson@gmail.com
GOP Senate Leader Mark Johnson and DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger were on Sunday Take to discuss the final days of the 2025 legislative session. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/42RrXkj
Sponsorships available – to reach over 25,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheet and website www.TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com
BUDGET: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A budget deal that is supposed to pave the way to the Legislature’s finish drew more fire Friday from members of both parties, although leaders insisted it would remain on track to an eventual but likely tardy completion. With a health proposal to revoke insurance coverage to undocumented immigrants already a sore point for Democrats, a separate measure to shutter one of the state’s oldest prisons attracted criticism from across the political spectrum. … Lawmakers did get to one more agreement Friday that should hold. They decided that the 2026 session won’t begin until Feb. 17.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SLSPfv
HEALTHCARE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders were scrambling Friday to save their $67 billion budget agreement amid an outcry from some Democratic members and activists over a provision to cut health insurance for people in the country illegally. Faith groups, union leaders and activists flooded the Capitol to protest the deal the day after it was announced. Two dozen DFL legislators have said they won’t vote for a bill that strips immigrants’ access to health care. Activity at the Capitol slowed visibly as lawmakers met about the change behind closed doors. … Accusations from Republican members already are flying that one progressive lawmaker, Senate Higher Education Chair Omar Fateh, DFL-Minneapolis, is refusing to hold meetings to finish work on the budget over anger about the health care change. RARICK: ‘Time will tell if Democrats are going to stop a state budget from happening until they get full health care for those here illegally,’ Rep. Marion Rarick, R-Maple Lake, posted on X.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j9kAcK
MEDICAID SUPPORTS HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OF US: Medicaid keeps Minnesota’s hospitals strong and ensures communities across the state have access to care. Policymakers must protect Medicaid so every Minnesotan — regardless of income or health status — can get the care they need, when they need it. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3FtrCuH (SPONSORED: Minnesota Hospital Association)
LEADERS: All four legislative leaders — Speaker Lisa Demuth, House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy and Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson — gave a joint interview on TPT Almanac last night to discuss the budget targets. They echoed many of their previous talking points, emphasizing that each side made painful cuts to find a bipartisan compromise. They all said they’re expecting a special session, but they unanimously want it to be finished as soon as possible. HORTMAN: “People need to bend. They need to understand that they won’t get everything they want.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YQWlZL
MURPHY: Following Thursday’s protests from some DFLers over budget targets that would remove undocumented adults from MinnesotaCare coverage, Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez indicated on social media that he may support a primary challenge against Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy in next year’s election. CHAVEZ: “I’m extremely disappointed that [DFL leaders] abandoned our communities. They made a deal with the GOP to strip away healthcare from undocumented residents. … I’m extremely disappointed that Erin Murphy did not hold the line and instead signed off on this despite the Senate being in DFL Control. We won’t forget that your re-election is next year.” TWEETS: https://fluence-media.co/4mjV33x
FRAZIER: Rep. Cedrick Frazier (D-New Hope) was interviewed on WCCO Radio yesterday. Frazier, a co-chair of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, previously led a press conference on Thursday denouncing the state’s plan to remove undocumented adults from MinnesotaCare, where dozens of DFL lawmakers followed Frazier’s lead and said they would not vote for the measure despite a compromise from caucus leaders. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mmFF6e
Governor Walz Wants to Double Tax Minnesota Consumers & Businesses: Governor Walz’s Minnesota Insurance Coverage Tax would double tax Minnesota families, seniors, businesses and consumers, raising the cost of non-medical insurance products including dental, vision, private paid family leave, long-term care, and wage replacement insurance. His plan not only forces Minnesotans buying one type of insurance to subsidize another, but it also gives the Department of Commerce unchecked power to set and raise the tax with no legislative oversight. Learn More: ProtectOurCoverage.com (SPONSORED: Minnesota Insurance and Financial Services Council)
PRISON: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “As a group of legislators and clergy held a news conference and prayer vigil against the health care cuts outside the House chambers Friday, members of the state’s public employee unions briefed reporters on why they oppose closing the Stillwater prison, which employs more than 500 people. … Two Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday [also] voiced concerns about how quickly the proposal came together and called for more scrutiny. LIMMER: ‘This is a shortsighted and alarming development — there were no committee hearings and no bill language on the issue, and I am very concerned that this proposal lacks the thorough vetting necessary for such a large change,’ Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, said in a statement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YMWi0Z
CONFERENCES: via Center for Fiscal Excellence, VERBATIM: “How much conferring will conference committees actually do? The idea of targets presumes subsequent negotiation and decision making by conference committees on all the details. However, as [Thursday’s] press conference indicated, some notable details regarding what will and will not be included affecting targets have apparently been ‘pre-negotiated.’ Despite Speaker Lisa Demuth’s comment that the leaders are ‘leaving the full work to chairs and conference committees,’ Representative Melissa Hortman’s comment that they ‘hope to wrap by Monday’ with a one-day special session before Memorial Day further suggests the cake has been heavily pre-baked, at least in some budget areas. Presumably, committee chairs participated in, were consulted with, or at least were warned about these decisions.”
BETTING POLL: Support is surging among Minnesotans who want legal wagering on sporting events. New polling by the Sports Betting Alliance of Minnesota indicates 60% of voters in the state support the legalization of sports betting. The survey of 1,000 Minnesota voters also revealed overwhelming support for legal wagering among 18–29-year-olds, with 75% of females and 73% of males in favor of allowing sports betting in Minnesota — something that is available in 39 states. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/49uj4OF (SPONSORED: Sports Betting Alliance)
SPORTS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Lawmakers are unlikely to approve public funding requested by Minnesota professional sports teams before the session ends. The Minnesota Vikings and Twins have said they need ongoing tax revenue…to avoid a much larger sum for a facility overhaul in about 10 years. [Previously], the Wild and city leaders in St. Paul got a cool reception at the Capitol to their request for $395 million to upgrade the Xcel Energy Center. They scaled back their request to $50 million. … Requests for big public subsidies for professional sports arenas spark debate between teams and communities, who say the stadiums generate huge economic impact, and skeptical economists, who say the effect is overstated.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4333KYv
TAXES: via Center for Fiscal Excellence, VERBATIM: “Leaders reported the [tax] bill will include a repeal of the sales tax exemption on electricity use by data centers. However, that revenue will fund the governor’s refundable R&D credit proposal, reportedly leaving about $16 million for the reduction target. A reportedly ‘small’ increase in cannabis taxation will also be included in the tax bill whose revenues would now flow into the general fund. It’s an increase, but perhaps more justifiable to Republicans. … There are many low/no cost policy provisions in both [chambers’] bills – some that can be dispensed with expeditiously; others more controversial. How much of the latter will be sacrificed on the altar of speed remains to be seen.”
IT’S POSSIBLE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY UPHOLD ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY AND GROW OUR ECONOMY: Minnesota’s lengthy and uncertain permitting process has frustrated businesses for decades. A recent report found that air permitting in Minnesota can take up to six times longer than comparable states. A coalition of business and labor groups are advocating for reform that will shorten timelines and increase certainty while maintaining our strong environmental standards. Contact your legislators and tell them to support streamlining the permitting process. CONTACT: https://fluence-media.co/3Ea5Tbe (SPONSORED: Minnesota Chamber of Commerce)
SPORTS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Lawmakers are unlikely to approve public funding requested by Minnesota professional sports teams before the session ends. The Minnesota Vikings and Twins have said they need ongoing tax revenue…to avoid a much larger sum for a facility overhaul in about 10 years. [Previously], the Wild and city leaders in St. Paul got a cool reception at the Capitol to their request for $395 million to upgrade the Xcel Energy Center. They scaled back their request to $50 million. … Requests for big public subsidies for professional sports arenas spark debate between teams and communities, who say the stadiums generate huge economic impact, and skeptical economists, who say the effect is overstated.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4333KYv
TAXES: via Center for Fiscal Excellence, VERBATIM: “Leaders reported the [tax] bill will include a repeal of the sales tax exemption on electricity use by data centers. However, that revenue will fund the governor’s refundable R&D credit proposal, reportedly leaving about $16 million for the reduction target. A reportedly ‘small’ increase in cannabis taxation will also be included in the tax bill whose revenues would now flow into the general fund. It’s an increase, but perhaps more justifiable to Republicans. … There are many low/no cost policy provisions in both [chambers’] bills – some that can be dispensed with expeditiously; others more controversial. How much of the latter will be sacrificed on the altar of speed remains to be seen.”
SUPPORT SF 2929 AND HF 2677: Third-party lawsuit funding (TPLF) — or “lawsuit lending” — is a growing and extremely concerning trend in courts across the state and throughout the country that encourages frivolous lawsuits and threatens to drive up the costs of products, services, and insurance for Minnesota consumers. Fortunately, lawmakers are considering legislation — the Consumers in Crisis Protection Act (SF 2929 & HF 2677) — to increase transparency around this highly secretive practice and reasonably regulate third-party lawsuit funders to protect consumers and help keep premiums low. MORE INFO: https://fluence-media.co/4jivOfT (SPONSORED: ASPCIA)
POT: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “Tweaks are needed to the existing cannabis laws as Minnesota gears up for the launch of the cannabis licenses. To that end, the Office of Cannabis Management has requested a number of law changes this session. Those requests made it into a conference committee report adopted by a conference committee Friday. Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) and Sen. D. Scott Dibble (DFL-Mpls) sponsor the cannabis policy bill, HF1615/SF2370*. … [However], an issue that was brought to legislators’ attention too late to address this session is local governments in Minnesota preventing cannabis businesses from opening in their communities, said Rep. Jessica Hanson (DFL-Burnsville). It’s creating a patchwork of cannabis prohibition that wasn’t intended by the state law. … [Hanson] hopes the Legislature and local officials can work together to address concerns in the 2026 session.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43vf3IZ
CUTS: via Center for Fiscal Excellence, VERBATIM: “According to Senate Fiscal’s comparison of Senate/House/Governor targets, the House has to come up with about $800 million in additional spending reductions to meet the out-biennium target. One relatively stressless thing to do would be to follow the lead of the Senate’s Education Finance Committee’s omnibus bill and temporarily unplug the automatic inflation adjustment to the Basic Education Formula, yielding over $600 million of FY28-29 cost savings on paper. … [However], the Senate bill turns the automatic inflation adjustment back on in FY 2030. It’s gimmicky, but that’s what automatic inflation adjustments make possible.”
PUSH BACK AGAINST TAX BREAKS FOR BIG TECH DATA CENTERS: Our tax money should be going to essential services for Minnesotans, like education, health care, and infrastructure — not subsidies for billionaire owned data centers. The current tax credit has already cost our state an estimated $5 million a year since 2011. In 2025 it will be over $100 million. It’s time to stop these skyrocketing numbers. Tell your legislators, ‘No big tax breaks for Big Tech.’ LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3ErmQh8 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy)
VETERANS: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “A veterans homes funding bump, enlistment and retention bonuses, and honoring people who fought alongside United States military members are all part of a bill that could get legislative approval. … The omnibus veterans and military affairs conference committee strongly approved an agreement Friday. Once filed, the conference committee report on HF2444/SF1959* will go to the Senate for a vote, then, if passed, sent to the House for action — maybe even on Saturday, which is Armed Forces Day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4k2rAJQ
RESERVES: via Center for Fiscal Excellence, VERBATIM: “The state’s official budget reserve is designed to protect state services in times of economic downturn and unexpected budget shortfalls. For the last few years, the state has supplemented the official reserve by leaving considerable ‘money on the table’ to help mitigate structural imbalances going forward. … Once again, the global agreement keeps $1.9 billion on the bottom line to help mitigate a projected remaining structural imbalance of $2.2 billion after this year's proposed budget-cutting actions are taken (again excluding inflation). The result is the presentation of a near budgetary balance over the four-year planning horizon. However, the practice of relying on budget rollovers to make up for chronic structural shortfalls in the state’s fiscal system adds to the risk accompanying whatever economic or federal curve balls may come in our direction.”
FREE AND LOW-COST FAMILY FUN: The beloved Flint Hills Family Festival is celebrating 25 years in downtown Saint Paul, May 30-31. This year’s festival, presented by the Ordway and Flint Hills Resources, welcomes outstanding headliners, including Grammy winners Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band and Ada Twist, Scientist, as well as the returning NOOMA, an Opera for Babies. Bring kids of all ages to enjoy free outdoor entertainment and activities, visit food trucks and take in an indoor show where tickets start at just $8. GET TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/FHFestival (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
SESSION: House floor session at 1:00 p.m. Senate floor session TBD. CONFERENCE: Conference committees will hear omnibus bills for state government and housing. HOUSE: No House committee meetings. SENATE: Finance hears the omnibus pension bill. CALENDAR: https://fluence-media.co/43iBL5X
BDAYS:Star Tribune editorial writer Lori Sturdevant, SUN: Sen. Jim Abeler, Rep. Andrew Myers, big thinker Nate Garvis, news guy Bill Dallman, attorney Michael Bryant, lobbyist Shannon. Cunningham, attorney Lisa Elliott, non profit leader Kate Barr, fmr. Rep. Phil Sterner
TIPS: How do we get the best news and most buzzed about stories? Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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