| Sen. Tina Smith, one of the two from Minnesota planning to vote against the budget bill, spoke yesterday to Minnesota Now about why she is opposed. Smith, a Democrat who will retire after next year, said the health care changes would prove damaging and the tax cuts for upper earners and corporations are misplaced. She said she supports the expanded child tax credits. Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar also opposes the bill, which would head back to the House for another vote once the Senate completes its debate and vote. President Donald Trump wants it on his desk by week’s end.
A set of new laws takes effect today. They range in scope and magnitude — from new options for the state to freeze funding if recipients are suspected of fraud to regulations on social media influencers to a new state fossil for Minnesota. Our team tracked a few of the policy changes that could impact Minnesotans right away, including shifts in traffic laws for motorcyclists and new age restrictions for those trying to rent a boat. Check out the rundown here. We’ll have more on the rollout of various budget bills and policy provisions set to take hold later this summer.
The six-month countdown starts today before the formal launch of Minnesota’s paid family and medical leave program. Democrats who pushed for the program’s passage in 2023 were able to navigate through the latest legislative session without any significant changes from Republicans. Over the next few months, the Department of Employment and Economic Development will put in place the technology and staffing needed to get the program up and running on January 1. DEED officials have said they’re on track and have been meeting with business leaders to get them prepared for the launch. The Walz administration will be judged for how well the program takes off and, historically, technology-heavy programs have been a weak spot for the state, especially right out of the gate. Unlike some states, Minnesota lawmakers used one-time funding to pad the paid family and medical leave fund ahead of its rollout to ensure benefits would be available to workers who take paid family or medical leave, even before payroll taxes flow into it.
A decision on the political future of Gov. Tim Walz could come this month. He had previously said he’d wait to make a decision on whether to seek a third term in office until after the conclusion of the legislative session. Then he set the announcement clock to July. But the killings of the late DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman are likely playing into that decision. No Minnesota governor has won a third consecutive four-year term.
Returning to reality will be a challenge for lawmakers, lobbyists, reporters and those who frequent the Capitol following the June 14 attacks. It seemed to set in for some lawmakers Saturday as they filled pews at the basilica and mourned the Hortmans. Dana Ferguson was in the sanctuary as well. Lawmakers from both political parties wept as Sophie and Colin Hortman walked to the front of the sanctuary alongside their parents' caskets. In conversations after the service, several said they weren’t sure how the transition back to the Legislature would look after the Hortmans were killed and Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot in their homes. Legislative leaders and others have floated new safety measures at the Capitol and while some steps have been taken to secure lawmakers’ personal information – like removing cities of residence from legislative websites and trimming addresses from the Secretary of State’s election sites and campaign records – more could be proposed to ensure lawmakers’ safety.
Programming note: We’ll be in your inbox only one more day this week and then taking a break until July 8. | 