It’s first deadline week at the Minnesota State Capitol, with legislators from both bodies moving swiftly to advance their policy bills before the clock strikes midnight tonight. Bill deadlines winnow the number of bills moving forward for the remainder of the session, as well as identify additional priorities for the parties.
It’s first deadline week at the Minnesota State Capitol, with legislators from both bodies moving swiftly to advance their policy bills before the clock strikes midnight tonight. Bill deadlines winnow the number of bills moving forward for the remainder of the session, as well as identify additional priorities for the parties. It’s a needed system because thousands of bills are introduced every year. (Over 5,000 so far this session!)
Any policy bill that has not received an affirmative vote or action in its body of origin (House or Senate) by the end of the day today is no longer viable for the remainder of the session. The legislature will further winnow the list of bills on March 29, the second bill deadline, when any bill that passed the first deadline must have an affirmative vote or action in the other body. The third and final deadline for major finance and appropriations bills is April 12. This third deadline is the most relevant to the University of Minnesota, since our biennial budget appropriation will be included in an omnibus higher education finance bill. A bill that doesn’t meet the deadlines can always reappear in an omnibus bill later in session, but that is a limited occurrence.
Speaking of the University’s biennial budget request, the governor and legislature are busy preparing their final biennial budget recommendations and targets. The state economic and budget forecast released on February 28 shows a reduction of $492 million in the state’s budget surplus, which now sits at $1.052 billion for the biennium. As a result of this reduction, the governor will soon release revised budget recommendations, and the legislature will respond with their budget targets for each spending area soon thereafter.
We are over halfway to the end of the legislative session, on May 20. There remains ample opportunity for all University of Minnesota faculty, staff, students, and supporters to engage with the governor and legislature in support of the University. The best way to advocate is to tell your personal story about why the University matters to you. Share you story.