It’s been almost a month since the Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die from its 2022 regular legislative session. During the regular session, the legislature failed to pass several major omnibus appropriation or supplemental bills including education, taxes, public safety, and health and human services. After weeks of discussions behind closed doors, legislative leaders announced an impasse in negotiations last night, stating that there will not be a special session to tackle these unresolved issues from the regular session.
Retirements Now that candidate filings have officially closed for the 2022 election, the full scope of legislative retirements is finally clear. A total of 47 legislators have retired from the Minnesota Legislature.
The number increases to 59 when you include members seeking office in the other body, with 11 representatives hoping for a seat in the Senate, and one senator running for the House. Eight of these retired members are seeking other elected office. Notably, Jeremy Munson and Jen Schultz are running for Congress, in Minnesota Congressional Districts 1 and 8 respectively.
The retiring legislators represent nearly a quarter of the 201-seat legislature, and they take along with them 600 years of experience. The next edition of Ewald at the Capitol will include information on all major party candidates who have filed for office in the Minnesota House and Senate.
Bill Tracking The 2022 legislative session began with a historic budget surplus that totaled a projected $9.25 billion for FY22-23, and an additional $1.2 billion to spend from federal coronavirus aid. The massive budget surplus provided ample opportunity for debate and disagreement over what to do with it. The largest appropriation passed by the legislature was the deal struck on replenishing the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund at $2.7 billion and providing $500 million for pandemic front-line workers. Despite the lack of agreement on bills in several key issues, the legislature was able to pass some important measures highlighted below. Details on all the bills passed during the regular session can be found here.
Bills that made their way to the governor’s desk this session include:
SF 2677 Unemployment insurance trust fund refilled avoiding a substantial tax increase for Minnesota’s employers, millions designated for frontline workers
SF3479 Drought relief, agriculture and rural broadband
SF3395 Mental Health omnibus law appropriating $92.7 million in funding
HF4031Life insurance policies can include long-term care
HF3765 Projects receive $159 million from Outdoor Heritage Fund
SF4233 Veterans, Military Affairs departments receive additional $54.55 million funding
HF2353 Preventing “technology providers” from using devices to access public school student data
SF4025 Law specifies distribution of opioid settlement funds
SF3372 Senator Tomassoni’s diagnosis inspires funding for ALS research and support
They Said It... “After four months of session and four more weeks of discussions, the differences could not be resolved.”– Senate Republican Leader Jeremy Miller on special session
