Minnesota News Network

Minnesota lawmakers missed their midnight deadline to pass agreed-on tax cuts, because of continuing disagreement over spending for health-and-human services, education and public safety. Governor Tim Walz says he’ll call a special session, but Senate Republicans are resistant.  Majority Leader Jeremy Miller says the midnight deadline has come and gone, and although they’re happy to continue discussions,  “We’re not interested in a special session. For goodness’ sakes, get your work done on time!”

The Governor’s Office says Walz will meet with legislative leaders later this morning (Mon, time TBD) with the goal of laying out parameters for a special session. It’s not clear how soon it might happen.

 

 

 

Eight million dollars in drought relief grants — part of an agriculture bill headed to the desk of Governor Tim Walz after the Minnesota House and Senate passed the compromise package this weekend. Republican Senator Torrey Westrom from Elbow Lake says, “Those that were impacted by the drought last summer and fall — livestock farmers, specialty crop farmers — these grants will get out the door as soon as possible through the Department of Agriculture.”

The bill also includes 2.5 million dollars for loans, prioritized for those affected by drought. And there’s 4.5 million dollars for additional response to the bird flu outbreak and threats from African Swine Fever.

 

Over 210 million dollars to improve broadband access across Minnesota — a key part of an agriculture budget package headed to the desk of Governor Tim Walz after the legislature passed it this weekend. Lead Senate negotiator, Elbow Lake Republican Torrey Westrom says, “Our communities in rural Minnesota really are seeing a surge of economic development because of the ability for people to work remotely… and we think where they can live and where they want to live with their families, because of broadband they can move to rural Minnesota now.”

Westrom says farmers use broadband for checking markets and weather, connecting to their barns for livestock monitoring, and marketing specialty crops. Democratic Representative Rob Ecklund from International Falls, chief House author of the measure, says in 2022 “reliable internet access isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.”

 

Former state Representative Doug Wardlow says he’ll challenge GOP-endorsed candidate Jim Schultz in the August primary for Minnesota attorney general. Wardlow in a just-released campaign video says, “Unfortunately, at a Republican State Convention on Friday, the RINO [Republican in Name Only] swamp got its way and the people lost out. We were in the lead, but my opponents had brokered a back-door deal to wrest away the endorsement.”

G-O-P endorsed candidate Jim Schultz says Wardlow made commitment after commitment to end his campaign if he was not endorsed at last weekend’s Republican State Convention. Schultz says, “There is nothing more representative of the establishment swamp than a career politician who fails to honor his promises.” Executive Director Michael Lonergan says Republican Party of Minnesota is “100 percent committed to defending our endorsement in the primary.”

 

One week before the deadline, Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders have the broad framework of a budget agreement to leave four billion dollars of the state’s budget surplus uncommitted, for next legislature to decide in 2023 — but it’s far from a done deal.  They’ve agreed that four billion dollars of the surplus will go for tax relief, but how much of that would be permanent tax cuts is still up in the air. Senate Republican Majority Leader Jeremy Miller says, “We have the framework of this agreement in place, but there is still a tremendous amount of work ahead.”

The governor still wants “Walz Checks.”  “We’re not telling you that this isn’t gonna be hard this week. There’s some hard decisions. I still feel very strongly that we need to have some one-time money right back in the pockets of folks right now,” he says.  But Walz says he agrees with Republicans that “there is a role for some permanent tax cuts, especially if they’re targeted to families, families with children.”

There are no specifics yet on how an additional billion dollars will be spent on education, a like amount for human services, and 1.3 billion dollars for “other areas.”