Minnesota

Minnesota Legislature during special session passes next state budget to avert government shutdown

Published

5 months ago

June 10, 2025

Minnesota Legislature during special session passes next state budget to avert government shutdown

The Minnesota Legislature approved the remaining pieces of the next state budget on Monday during a special session, after lawmakers failed to complete their work in May.

The House adjourned around 10:40 p.m., and the Senate was on track to do the same around midnight or early on Tuesday. They had 14 bills on their to-do list; most were spending plans that made up the roughly $66 billion budget for the next two years.

The political make-up of the Capitol is unique, with a tied House for only the second time in state history, and is as closely divided as a Legislature can be in Minnesota, with 100 Republicans and 101 Democrats. That made negotiations challenging and forced compromise.

“The tie forced us to work together, and I think that’s something that people outside of the bubble here in St. Paul are looking for people to do,” said House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring. “They want representation in the state that can work together and do the best things for our state.”

A delayed start in the House, after DFL lawmakers boycotted the first few weeks over a power dispute, ended in overtime. But a divided Legislature is not unique in Minnesota. Four of the last five budget-writing sessions, including this one, have ended with special sessions because they didn’t finish the budget on time when Republicans and Democrats shared power.

“We prevented a duly elected member of the Minnesota House from being kicked out for no reason whatsoever other than political expediency. And I think in the end, fighting for that equal shared power made this a better session,” said former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “And I think the way that today unfolded was about cooperation and collaboration, we could have had that from the word go. I’m really happy that we did finally get there.”

Finishing their work on Monday prevented nearly 30,000 state workers from getting layoff notices on Tuesday in advance of a partial government shutdown on July 1 if they failed to approve a budget.

As of 11:30 p.m. Monday, the Senate had to pass a tax bill and a bonding proposal funding infrastructure projects before they adjourned, but had approved the budget bills. The legislation made significant cuts to stave off a projected $6 billion deficit in future years.

Most of the day was smooth sailing after lawmakers in the House began by passing the most contentious bill of the year that will remove undocumented immigrant adults from MinnesotaCare, a state health care coverage program, by the year’s end.

The debate in that chamber lasted for four hours and at times was emotional. The change was a top priority for Republicans who are concerned that growing enrollment would balloon costs in an unsustainable way.

Democrats in both chambers are deeply opposed to the measure, which will preserve coverage for children despite the rollback for adults.

Through tears, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said approving it, which she agreed to in a larger budget compromise among legislative leaders, was among the most “painful” votes she ever had to take.

She and three other Democrats supported it in the Senate. Hortman was the sole DFL vote alongside Republicans in the House.

Hortman was similarly emotional when reflecting on that moment.

“What I worry about is the people who will lose their health insurance. I know that people will be hurt by that vote,” she said. “We worked very hard to try to get a budget deal that wouldn’t include that provision, and we tried any other way we could to come to a budget agreement with Republicans, and they wouldn’t have it. So I did what leaders do, I stepped up and I got the job done for the people of Minnesota.”

This story will be updated.

Caroline Cummings

Caroline Cummings is an Emmy-winning reporter with a passion for covering politics, public policy and government. She is thrilled to join the WCCO team.

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Minnesota

Jean Sumner

Published

14 hours ago

October 28, 2025

Press Room

Jean Marie (Bee) Sumner died Friday, October 24, 2025 at her home in Rockport, Texas. After facing chronic lymphocytic leukemia for many years, her body is finally at peace.

Jean was born December 21, 1952 in Plum City, Wisconsin to Kenny and Pat Bee. She grew up in Embarrass, Minnesota and graduated from Virginia High School in 1971.

She married Steve Sumner on February 14, 1987 in Duluth. Jean received her B.Acc. from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 1981 and worked at Wells Fargo until her retirement in 2006 when she moved to The Villages, FL.

Jean and Steve loved to travel and spent many weeks in Mexico and the Caribbean. Most recently she spent her winters in Yuma, AZ and last winter bought a home in Rockport, TX. In the summer, she would return to Embarrass.

She is survived by her daughters Leslie (Brad) Brunfelt, Duluth, MN; Kristen (John) Peek, Orlando, FL; Amy (Dennis) Christopherson, Arkansaw, WI; stepson Jason Sumner; bonus daughter Julie Sumner. Grandchildren Emily and Sydney Hanna, Ben and Aaron Fulford, Tabitha (Cody) Strzyzykowski, Matthew Sumner, Miranda, Robert, and Alice Christopherson. Great Grandchildren, Elizabeth and Mackenzie Strzyzykowski. Siblings Linda (Duane) Henry, Lacey, WA; Ann Lamppa, Virginia, MN; Jodi (Perry) Kronenbush, Rochester, MN; Chuck (Patty) Bee, Tower, MN. Many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who loved her dearly. Partner, Bob Schroeder and dog, Sassy.

She is preceded in death by her parents and parents in-law, her husband of 34 years, Steve Sumner; son Travis Nevala, and brother-in-law, Lon Lamppa.

A celebration of life will be held at Timber Hall in Embarrass, MN on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Please share online condolences and photos at charliemarshallfuneralhomes.com.

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Minnesota

Minnesota Capitol security enhancements underway

Published

1 day ago

October 27, 2025

Press Room

Minnesota Capitol security enhancements underway

Security changes at the Minnesota State Capitol are underway, but it will still be a couple of months before an advisory committee’s comprehensive recommendations are forwarded to the legislature.

The most notable change in the short term will be more uniform security personnel on the job, following the recent hiring of 20 new security officers.

RELATED: State Capitol security changes now in effect with more to come

“Mid to late November is when they will start their training and then be put into their own classification and be out there in the field, so to speak, and functioning as Capitol security officers and our eyes and ears that are out there,” says Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol.

Geiger says more state troopers will also be assigned to the Capitol complex, along with a new captain to help oversee security, as well as an existing captain.

RELATED: State Patrol finalizing third-party Capitol security review after ‘naked man’ incident

Additionally, a trooper will be assigned to work with the BCA investigating threats involving the Capitol complex. There have been 50 threats investigated so far in 2025 — compared to 19 in all of 2024. 13 cases this year have been referred for prosecution.

The Advisory Committee on Capitol Security also learned more about the consulting firm hired to study Capitol complex security and to make recommendations for improvements. The Axtell Group is headed by former St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell. He addressed the committee to outline the work that will be done, but says it’s too soon to report any findings.

One lawmaker was concerned that the contract with the consulting firm only calls for studying four of 14 buildings that make up the Capitol complex, including the Capitol itself, the Senate Office Building, the Centennial Office Building (where House members are temporarily officing) and the Judicial Building.

“There are other buildings on the campus that obviously the public interacts with,” said Rep. Jim Nash, R-Waconia. “People who actually perhaps serve in these buildings will walk over to for a number of different reasons, and I’m wondering why have those buildings been excluded from the comprehensive, I believe it was called a comprehensive security assessment, because without those buildings in my estimation it is not comprehensive.”

Axtell said his firm’s contract only calls for a review of those four buildings, and Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson explained why. He says they are the most heavily visited buildings, and all that could be budgeted for at this point.

“This assessment, once it’s completed, does not preclude us from coming back to the legislature and asking for more funds to complete the rest of the Capitol area completely,” he said. “I think that actually would be a wise idea.”

The committee, chaired by DFL Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, includes House and Senate members, law enforcement, and sergeant-at-arms staff from the House and Senate. They will continue meeting until they come up with recommendations for the legislature when it reconvenes in February.

RELATED: State committee discusses Capitol security in wake of attack on lawmakers

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Minnesota

Pacers vs Timberwolves Game Loses Minnesota All-Star with Concerning Injury

Published

2 days ago

October 26, 2025

Press Room

Pacers vs Timberwolves Game Loses Minnesota All-Star with Concerning Injury

The Indiana Pacers, who are missing a whopping seven guards in their ongoing Sunday tilt against the Minnesota Timberwolves, got a bit of injury luck when Minnesota’s best player was ruled out for good in the first quarter of the action.

More news: Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Provides New Injury Update on Himself

Per Chris Haynes of Amazon Prime and NBA TV, All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards has been ruled out for the rest of the contest with right hamstring tightness.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is out for remainder of the game against Indiana Pacers due to right hamstring tightness.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 26, 2025
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