| Almost two months into the session, the Minnesota House gets its latest reshaping this week. Tuesday's consequential special election will determine if Republicans have a clear majority or if Democrats regain the tie they had following the 2024 election. Republicans have used their time with a one-seat edge to put the House on the record on a range of bills. That will continue this week because it’s unlikely the winner of Tuesday’s special election will take the decisive seat until several days later, or even next week. Peter Cox has more on the week ahead. Now that the budget forecast is in hand, that task of crafting a two-year budget will take on more intensity.
We got our only preelection look at candidate campaign finances in the House 40B special. Reports filed last week with the campaign finance board cover activity through Feb. 25. DFLer David Gottfried and Republican Paul Wikstrom were fairly even with the amount they had pulled in and the size of their campaign balances entering the home stretch of an unusual special election (it had been scheduled for Jan. 28 and was postponed until March 11 due to a court ruling). Anyway, Gottfried had the smallest of edges. He took in about $105,000 from Jan. 1 on and ended the reporting period with $83,516 in the bank. Wikstrom had just shy of $104,000 in fundraising and was sitting on $83,285 at the close of the report window. Outside groups and party caucuses are also involved but we won’t see their activity for awhile.
The House intends to vote on a bill Monday that would require the state legislative auditor to update lawmakers on follow-through by state agencies to report findings. The bill directs the Office of the Legislative Auditor with providing an annual update on how well state agencies comply with recommendations. The office provides oversight for state agencies and programs. Republicans say there needs to be clearer metrics to assess if state government fixes shortcomings identified by auditors. Some Democrats see it as unnecessary and a burden for the small office. The proposal gives the Legislative Auditor some new funding to cover added costs.
How heavy is heavy enough for ATVs that roll over public trails? A bill in the Legislature would boost the maximum to 3,000 pounds — up from the current maximum of 2,000. MPR’s Kirsti Marohn says part of the discussion centers on the heavier batteries needed for electric-powered ATVs and the other features that make their use more prevalent year-round. Environmental groups are concerned about the beating trails take and the erosion the bigger ATVs could cause. Safety concerns have also come up.
As state finance officials rolled out the economic forecast last week, they briefly mentioned that the Department of Human Services improperly sent federal dollars to treatment centers to the tune of $113 million. Star Tribune reporter Jessie Van Berkel dug in and found that the issue stemmed from a coding error at the department dating back a decade. It’s now been resolved, but the state is on the hook for repaying the federal government and that’ll eat into the next two year budget.
If you missed Politics Friday last week, Minnesota’s dean of the Congressional delegation Rep. Betty McCollum shared her take on President Donald Trump’s actions so far and what Democrats are doing to push back. McCollum is in her 25th year, which puts her in the top five all-time in House service for Minnesota. She hasn’t said if she’ll seek another term in 2026. McCollum voiced dismay with the Trump administration’s efforts to work around Congress and its actions on the world stage. You can listen to the conversation here. Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson also joined the show to talk about how lawmakers are refocusing on writing a two-year budget and how federal changes could trickle down to Minnesota.
We’ve (ahem, Dana) broached the question of whether love is truly blind — and it’s a mixed bag for the Minnesotans who’ve confronted it in a televised fashion. What we (again, Dana) do know is that for a couple of local young singles who’ve starred in the viral Netflix series, politics played a huge role in that decision. Our colleagues clock the latest in the “Love is Blind” finale here. | 