On Saturday, June 20, both the House and Senate adjourned the special session sine die, unable to come to agreement on major issues.
On Wednesday, June 10, Governor Walz called for a special session of the Minnesota Legislature, citing economic concerns, response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need for police accountability and reform in the wake of the George Floyd killing. Shortly after the legislature convened on Friday, June 12, the governor issued a 30-day extension of the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency.
All legislation to be considered during the special session must be introduced as a new bill. Within one week, the House introduced 170 bills, and the Senate introduced 163 bills, including a revised bonding bill. The Senate’s revised $1.13 billion proposal provides funding for three University of Minnesota requested projects and $10 million more for the Higher Education Asset Prevention and Replacement than the Senate’s regular session bill. View a comparison of proposals.
However, on Saturday, June 20, both the House and Senate adjourned the special session sine die, unable to come to agreement on major issues, including:
- Capital investment (bonding)
- Taxes
- Distribution of federal CARES Act aid for local governments
- Police reform
- Financial assistance to businesses damaged by the civil unrest
It is likely Governor Walz will call another special session in the coming weeks, either to address these issues after an agreement has been reached or to vote on another 30-day extension of the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency on July 13.
Government and Community Relations will send out a comprehensive summary of the regular session and special session in the coming weeks. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact our office with any questions.