At a few minutes before midnight last night, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die, bringing to a close the 90th legislative session. Many outstanding issues went down to the wire.
At a few minutes before midnight last night, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die, bringing to a close the 90th legislative session. Many outstanding issues went down to the wire.
One of the last bills passed by the Senate and House was an $825 million general obligation capital investment bill, including $79.4 million for the University of Minnesota:
- $45 million for Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) systemwide
- $24 million for Pillsbury Hall on the Twin Cities campus
- $3.2 million for Dowell Hall and Owen Hall on the Crookston campus
- $3.2 million for the Humanities Building and Blakely Hall on the Morris campus
- $4 million for Glensheen mansion in Duluth
Combined with last session's bonding bill, the legislature has provided nearly $200 million in infrastructure funding to the University this biennium.
In addition to capital investment, the legislature included over $15 million for University environment and natural resource projects in the bonding bill. These Duluth, Morris, and Twin Cities campus projects, funded by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF), address topics such as aquatic invasive species, wildlife health threats, and improving water quality. The governor has yet to indicate whether he will sign this capital investment/ENRTF bill.
The legislature also passed a $990 million omnibus supplemental budget bill in the early hours of Sunday morning. This massive bill includes funding and policy provisions in almost every area of the state budget, including higher education. However, it does not include new funding for the University. The governor has objected to several provisions in the bill and is expected to veto it in the coming days.
The legislature also passed an omnibus tax bill to conform Minnesota taxes to the newly enacted federal tax reforms. The tax bill passed last night is very similar to the tax bill vetoed by the governor earlier in the week, with the addition of several million dollars in funding for emergency school aid. However, the governor has indicated he will also likely veto this new tax bill.
The final outcomes of the session are yet to be determined. Since all of these bills were passed in the last 24 hours, the governor now has two weeks to either sign, veto, or "pocket veto" these bills. Government Relations will provide a comprehensive summary of the session in the coming weeks.