Legislature Resumes with Four Weeks to Go; Budget Decisions Looming
The legislature returns from Easter/Passover break today with a significant amount of work to do in just four short weeks. Passing the biennial budget will be the main focus, as will a push to pass a capital investment bill with funding for various infrastructure projects. With the House of Representatives, Senate, and Gov. Walz all having different ideas on the budget and capital investment bills, the negotiation process will ramp up in the coming weeks with the goal of establishing a “global target,” so all three bodies are operating under the same budgetary constraints.
While many finance committees were able to assemble and pass their budget proposals prior to the April 11th committee deadline, numerous committees in the House of Representatives defaulted to using “vehicle bills,” generally legislation with minor or technical changes to law, in order to meet the requirement. With the House working under the power-sharing agreement that requires members of both parties to agree on bill language and spending targets, consensus has been more difficult to obtain. Several committees in the House of Representatives (education, energy, environment and natural resources, health, and higher education, and jobs) could not reach a bipartisan deal before the finance deadline and instead approved vehicle bills that will likely be amended later in the committee process.
The next few weeks will determine if the legislature can complete their work by the constitutionally mandated deadline of May 19th, or if they will require a special session to finish up the budget. Five of the last seven legislative sessions where a budget was constitutionally required needed a special session to complete the work of the legislature.
Senate District 6 Republican Primary
Republicans in Senate District 6 held a primary election last Tuesday to choose a candidate for the vacant Senate seat representing the north-central area of the state. Eight candidates faced off in the primary, with Keri Heintzeman emerging from a crowded field with 47% of the vote. Heintzeman is the wife of current MN state Rep. John Heintzeman, and is a business owner in Nisswa, Minnesota.
Heintzeman will now face Democrat Denise Slipy, a first responder and environmental health professional from Breezy Point, Minnesota. The special election for SD 6, which is the district recently vacated by former Sen. Jason Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) who resigned after being arrested and charged with soliciting a minor, will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
The Senate DFL Caucus currently holds the majority with a two-vote margin, so this special election will determine if the chamber returns to a 34-33 DFL majority, as it was prior to Eichhorn’s resignation, or if the margin grows with a win by Slipy. With the House of Representatives in a tie and the Senate margin slim, every vote will count when it comes time to negotiate and pass a final budget.
Important Dates to Remember
April 21, 2025 Legislature Resumes at 12:00 PM
April 23, 2025 Governor Walz State of the State
April 29, 2025 Senate District 6 Special Election
May 19, 2025 Constitutional Deadline to adjourn the legislative session
