Seventh special session adjourns sine die

Governor Walz called the Minnesota Legislature into a seventh and final special session of 2020 on Monday, December 14, to extend the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency for another 30 days. The Senate voted to end the governor's peacetime emergency; however the House supported its continuation. 

During yesterday’s one-day special session, the legislature passed a COVID-19 relief package. The bills included a $216 million business relief package, a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits and a number of regulatory flexibilities.

As the legislature prepares for the 2021 legislative session, the House and Senate have announced their committee structures and chairs. Representative Connie Bernardy (New Brighton) will continue as chair of House Higher Education Finance and Policy for another term, while Representative Fue Lee (Minneapolis) has been appointed the chair of House Capital Investment. Senator David Tomassoni (Chisholm) has been appointed chair of Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy, while Senator Tom Bakk (Cook) will be chair of Senate Capital Investment. These appointments are unique because while Republicans control the Senate, both Bakk and Tomassoni are long-serving Democrats who recently left the DFL caucus to form the Independent Caucus.

The November budget forecast, which Governor Walz will use to create his budget recommendations, was recently released. Minnesota is now projected to have a surplus of $641 million for the FY2020-21 biennium. However, current projections for the FY2022-23 budget predict a $1.273 billion dollar deficit. The legislature will rely on the February budget forecast for determining the state budget in May.

The Minnesota House and Senate will convene the 2021 regular legislative session on January 5.