Hamline University Professor David Schultz
It won’t be long before state lawmakers start preparing for the 2016 legislative session that opens in early March — but prospects aren’t good for getting a lot done, says a top political analyst. Hamline University Professor David Schultz points to an abbreviated session in an election year, saying there’s a lot that could and should be addressed, but expects “most of it getting pushed to the side.” On lawmakers’ plates: a bonding bill, competing proposals for spending the surplus — including universal pre-kindergarten and business tax cuts — PolyMet, and court-ordered changes to the state’s Sex Offender Treatment Program. The state has a large budget surplus, but Schultz says there are “partisan divides” over many key issues.