Minnesota
Minnesota lawmakers return for the last leg of session. Here’s what to watch
State lawmakers return from a weeklong break on Monday with a two-year budget still in the works and the clock ticking down on the legislative session.
With about a month left before they’re supposed to adjourn, they’ll hit the gas on a raft of budget bills, moving them from committees to the House and Senate floors, then into conference committees. There, legislators will iron out differences and reach final products that can pass both chambers and get the governor’s signature.
At the same time, top legislative leaders and the governor will meet in a series of closed-door negotiations to finalize a blueprint for the budget.
“We will begin the work with the administration and with the House to reconcile our spreadsheets, to understand one another’s goals,” Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said after a town hall meeting in Ely. “We will start those, what should be very challenging negotiations.”
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
It’ll be a bumpy ride in the narrowly divided Capitol but one that leaders say they’re optimistic they can wrap up before May 19. They acknowledge that federal officials could derail their final product and force lawmakers to return for a special legislative session later this year.
Here are a few things to watch as lawmakers return to the Capitol.
Sticking points remain in education, health and human services
While committees completed many areas of the budget ahead of the break, a couple had to work overtime to negotiate agreements for E-12 education and health and human services.
Co-chairs in the House split over what should be included in the spending plans. Republicans pushed to remove changes passed under DFL control at the Capitol over the last two years that would add more requirements for school districts and allow undocumented people to receive health insurance under the Medical Assistance program, Minnesota’s Medicaid program.
GOP lawmakers said new programs providing universal school meals for students and introducing various new curriculum changes were too costly for school districts already facing budget cuts. They also said state programs should focus on legal residents.
Democrats defended the programs, especially the universal school meals plan, and said the changes benefited students. With an evenly split House, committees have even representation and shared leadership. They are expected to hold funding for schools flat under House budget targets, and cut $350 million in health and human services programs.
Another factor playing into budget talks is the prospect of significant federal spending cuts. The GOP-led Congress has approved a budget framework that would trim $880 billion in spending to help pay for an extension of 2017 tax cuts.
Democrats in St. Paul have suggested new tax measures for social media companies or wealthy Minnesotans to bridge the potential gap if Medicaid gets cut. Meanwhile, Republicans have said any new taxes are a non-starter.
Rep. Robert Bierman, DFL-Apple Valley, speaks to hundreds of Minnesotans at Lakeville South High School as part of a town hall meeting on Monday, April 14. Dana Ferguson | MPR News
Rep. Robert Bierman, DFL-Apple Valley, co-chairs the House Health Finance and Policy Committee and said he and Republican co-chair Rep. Jeff Backer are writing their budget based off of the budget forecast from March. But many are anticipating it could be demolished by cuts at the federal level.
“It’s extremely difficult, but we fundamentally have to just kind of work with what is in front of us right now, and despite the storm clouds above us at the federal level, our job is to get a budget done based on where we’re at in present circumstances,” Bierman said.
House Speaker State Rep. Lisa Demuth speaks during the Politics Friday show at The UBS Forum on Friday, March 28, in St. Paul.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News
Republicans agree that the focus should be on what lawmakers know now. They said lawmakers could return to tweak if federal funding changes throw off the balance of Minnesota’s spending plan.
“If any federal changes would cause a change going forward, after we seal up this session with a budget, then, of course, if the governor calls us back, we would come back,” House Speaker Lisa Demuth said ahead of the legislative recess. “But right now, we have to go with the dollars and the data that we have in order to finish up this legislative budget.”
Walz to encourage bipartisan work, push back on Trump in speech
Gov. Tim Walz will deliver his sixth State of the State address on Wednesday from the House chambers. After spending months on the road campaigning for the Democratic presidential ticket – and more recently deploying out to congressional districts represented by Republicans to host town halls – he said he’ll call on lawmakers to come together on a budget.
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz speaks alongside Democratic U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison at the Martin Luther Care campus center in Bloomington, Minn., on April 15.
Clay Masters | MPR News
The second-term DFL governor said he’ll also highlight changes posed by the Trump administration that could shake up Minnesota’s budget and impact services.
“I think the state of Minnesota is still in a solid spot, but I don’t think any of us should kid ourselves. We’re in very precarious territory,” Walz told reporters last week. “We’ve decided to pick trade wars with our allies. We’ve isolated and turned allies against us. We’ve forced many folks into the Chinese sphere of influence, on a broader scale, and states are under threat for programs just like this. So I think to try and articulate we’ve got some real decisions to make.”
The late-in-session address is unlikely to pose significant shifts in policy.
Senate president faces ethics probe
The Senate Subcommittee on Ethics is scheduled to meet twice to weigh a complaint against Senate President Bobby Joe Champion.
Champion represented Rev. Jerry McAffee on a pro bono basis in his capacity as an attorney in 2022, then helped McAffee’s nonprofit 21 Days of Peace receive state grant funds in an economic development bill that he spearheaded in 2023.
Online news site The Minnesota Reformer first reported the possible conflict of interest. The Star Tribune has since reported on other legal clients of Champion’s whose organizations have also received state funding.
Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct chair Sen. Bobby Joe Champion addresses Republican Sen. Jeremy R. Miller during a hearing in St. Paul on Tuesday, May 7.
Ben Hovland | MPR News
Republicans raised the complaint saying Champion failed to report the possible conflict of interest, potentially violating Senate rules.
Champion said it wasn’t a conflict of interest since it took place prior to the legislative session and he wasn’t paid for representing McAffee. Out of “an abundance of caution” Champion requested an advisory opinion from the ethics panel and stepped down as its chair.
The subcommittee, now chaired by DFL Sen. Sandy Pappas, could take up both the request for an advisory opinion and the ethics complaint this week.
MPR News reporters Catharine Richert, Clay Masters and Dan Kraker contributed to this report from Rochester, Plymouth and Ely, Minn.
3M PFAS documentary: What the company knew about PFAS
The 3M Company has vowed to stop manufacturing PFAS chemicals by the end of 2025. The FOX 9 Investigators reviewed hundreds of hours of video depositions that shed new light on how company executives and scientists responded after first learning about the widespread contaminations.
(FOX 9) – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is taking 3M back to court, saying the company hasn’t done enough to stop PFAS pollution in local water.
Minnesota sues 3M for ongoing PFAS contamination
What we know:
The MPCA filed the lawsuit May 1, alleging that 3M is responsible for ongoing groundwater and surface water contamination, including industrial and stormwater discharges into the Mississippi River near its Cottage Grove facility.
In its argument, the state says some locations tested for PFAS showed concentrations as high as 310,000 parts per trillion, far above the state standard. The agency claims that although the specific site “does not routinely discharge to surface waters,” a heavy rainfall could lead to contamination entering the river.
The MPCA also alleges that 3M has not completed required cleanup work under a 2022 order and that its groundwater extraction system is not sufficient.
Minnesota previously sued 3M over PFAS, resulting in a 2018 settlement where the company paid $850 million to help clean up drinking water in the east metro. In 2024, 3M also agreed to pay $10.3 billion over 13 years to address PFAS in drinking water systems nationwide.
3M settlement water projects
Minnesota-based 3M is required to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up PFAS-contaminated drinking water in the Twin Cities after the company dumped chemical waste in the east metro for decades. But with money from a 2018 settlement agreement running out, the company is now pushing back on whether all of those projects are reasonable and necessary.
Dig deeper:
In the lawsuit, the state is seeking civil penalties of up to $30,000 per violation per day, as well as increased cleanup efforts and compensation for damage to wildlife and natural resources.
A full copy of the complaint can be found below:
3M responds to lawsuit
The other side:
In its own court filing, 3M argues that some of the PFAS pollution came from testing firefighting foam made for the U.S. military, following Department of Defense requirements. The company says it warned the federal government about PFAS risks and should not be held responsible for contamination tied to military work.
3M wants the case moved from state to federal court, saying the environmental damage cited by the state is linked to its role as a government contractor.
The company stated it completed its planned exit from all PFAS manufacturing at the end of 2025.
The Source: Information provided by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and 3M court filings.
Anti-ICE demonstrators protest outside St. Cloud-area hotels. See video
Protesters on Jan. 12 voiced frustrations about Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents being in St. Cloud by protesting outside local hotels.
The Minnesota Senate on Monday approved a package of bills aimed at reining in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after more than 3,000 federal agents descended on Minnesota for what the Department of Homeland Security called its largest immigration enforcement operation ever.
Swarming groups of federal agents racially profiled and arrested people in the streets during Operation Metro Surge, which ignited massive resistance and resulted in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two U.S. Citizens.
“All we want are safe communities and the fair treatment under the law,” said Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, and chief author of the bill package. “The way ICE agents and Border Patrol agents went about (immigration) enforcement was an absolute abuse of our Constitution. It contravened our constitutional principles. It was without warrants. It was stopping people without lawful basis. It was arresting people without probable cause. It just crossed so many constitutional lines.”
The Minnesota Senate is controlled by Democrats, who have made Operation Metro Surge recovery and accountability a top issue. The Minnesota House is deadlocked between Republicans and Democrats, and Republicans have largely opposed Operation Metro Surge-related bills this session. The legislative session ends on Sunday.
The bill passed 34-33 in the Senate with no Republican votes.
The package includes a bill to allow Minnesotans to sue federal agents in state court if their constitutional rights are violated.
For much of American history, people have had the ability to sue federal agents, but the U.S. Supreme Court has rolled back that precedent. The high court has suggested that only Congress can authorize lawsuits seeking money from federal officials.
Some legal scholars believe state legislatures, too, can authorize lawsuits against federal officials for violating the Constitution. The Illinois Legislature last year passed such a law, and the Trump administration promptly sued, arguing the Constitution’s supremacy clause limits states from enacting policies that conflict with federal law.
The Trump administration has said that federal agents have “absolute immunity” if they are conducting immigration enforcement. Legal experts say that immunity doesn’t extend to unreasonable or excessive use of force. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged one ICE officer with assault for allegedly brandishing a weapon and is weighing charges against the agents who killed Pretti and Good.
The package of bills also includes banning law enforcement from wearing face masks, and it creates a “civil right of action” in shootings in which a person can be held civilly liable if they shoot someone and fail to provide aid to the victim.
It also prohibits federal immigration agents from schools, hospitals, childcare centers and courthouses.
Senate Republicans say the package would cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential litigation because the state will likely be sued. States cannot regulate immigration law, and Republicans argue the bill package does just that.
Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
(FOX 9) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has sent a warning letter to nine commercial landlords warning them they may be renting to massage parlors that are engaging in sex trafficking.
Warning letter
What we know:
Ellison shared an announcement about the letter in a news release on Tuesday. The letter warns the landlords, which were not named in the news release, that their tenants could be operating an illicit business.
The letter also shares some “red flags” of sex trafficking, noting that the business in question appears on a website “RUBMAPS” – a review site that officials say allows sex buyers to share their experiences.
Local perspective:
Some of the common red flags outlined by the AG that a massage parlor is engaged in sex trafficking are:
- Hours are often late, past regular business hours.
- Entrances are private and windows are covered.
- High security measures, including external cameras at entrances, screened entry with buyers needing to call or be buzzed in.
- Evidence, such as makeshift kitchens, shows that women are living on the premises.
- Cash-heavy transactions.
- Clientele is almost exclusively male.
- Illicit advertising online and sex-buyer activity on online review sites.
What you can do:
Landlords and residents who suspect a business may be engaging in prostitution can contact:
- The BCA at 1-877-996-6222 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us.
- The Attorney General’s Office via its online complaint form, or by calling the Office at (651) 296-3353 (Metro area) or (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota).
- The National Human Trafficking Hotline, 1-888-373-7888.
What the letter says
Dig deeper:
The letter also informs the landlords that Minnesota law allows landlords to cancel residential leases if they learn a tenant is engaging in prostitution activities on their premises. The AG urges the landlords to check if similar provisions are available for commercial leases. It also warns of the legal ramifications of allowing sex trafficking on their property.
Ellison requested a response from landlords within ten business days of the letter.
In the news release, Ellison explains that many of the women that work out of these parlors are brought to the United States under false promises, isolated once here and coerced to perform as sex workers.
What they’re saying:
In a statement, Ellison says: “Minnesota will not tolerate vulnerable women being abused and trafficked at illicit massage businesses hiding in plain sight in our communities. I’m asking property owners to join me and do their part to help stamp out this criminal conduct.”
Big picture view:
The effort by Ellison is part of an initiative to combat sex trafficking that the attorney general’s office is collaborating on with local law enforcement, national anti-trafficking advocacy group The Network, and the Minnesota BCA’s Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force.
-
Wisconsin3 minutes agoWisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for May 13, 2026
-
West Virginia9 minutes agoPrimary Election Post Mortem – WV MetroNews
-
Wyoming15 minutes agoWyoming High School Softball Regional Tournaments 2026
-
Crypto21 minutes agoADI Foundation and Settlemint Launch ADGM Tokenization Rail for $30.9B RWAs
-
Finance27 minutes agoHousehold savings, income and finances in Spain: how did they fare in 2025 and what can we expect for 2026?
-
Fitness33 minutes agoWhat is Americans’ favorite exercise? New study reveals a surprising trend in fitness habits
-
Movie Reviews45 minutes agoReview | Nagi Notes: Koji Fukada ponders the meaning of art in wartime
-
World57 minutes ago
Denise Powell wins Democratic primary in Nebraska’s ‘blue dot’ 2nd District
