If you’ve long dreamed of living life like the Jetsons, complete with flying cars, Minnesota might be the perfect destination. KFGO reports that Gov. Tim Walz has signed off on a transportation bill supported on both sides of the aisle that includes language on the use of “roadable aircraft,” aka flying cars. The new legislation—called, naturally, the “Jetson bill”—allows for such vehicles to drive on state roads and highways, though they can’t take off or land on public thoroughfares unless it’s an emergency. Per a release, the flying cars would have to stick to the same rules of the road as other non-air-friendly vehicles.

“Believe it or not, the way things are going with technology, we’re actually looking at flying cars coming maybe as early as 2025,” GOP state Sen. John Jasinski said in March, per the Star Tribune. That outlet notes that multiple companies are working on flying cars, which aren’t yet available for public use. Some say they could reach the market in two years’ time, which may make Jasinski’s prediction overly optimistic. The FAA wields control over the “flying” part of flying cars, while states will have jurisdiction over the “car” part on local roads. Just one other state has made legal provisions for flying cars: New Hampshire, which passed a similar law in 2020. (More flying cars stories.)

For Minnesota soccer fans waiting their turn for a specialty sports plate, the time is almost here.

The Minnesota United FC loon plate will likely be ready for drivers Oct. 1, said Greg Loper, the vehicle services program director of the state’s Driver and Vehicle Services.

What’s it going to look like? Well, “there are going to be letters and there are going to be numbers,” he said.

The design isn’t finalized just yet, but it’s a good bet there will be a common loon on it. The plates will help raise money for the Minnesota Loon Restoration Project from the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

The Major League Soccer team’s plate joins five other sports team plates, which have been available since January: the Vikings, Lynx, Timberwolves, Twins and Wild. And it joins a growing rolodex of specialty plates. Currently, there are 114 specialty plates on the market, according to DVS.

The influx of specialty plate proposals in recent years has been a sore spot for some lawmakers. In Minnesota, it takes legislation for specialty plates to get approved. That’s part of the reason the MNUFC plate was delayed.

A previous law for sports plates said plate-owners must make an annual contribution to the team’s foundation, but MNUFC doesn’t have a foundation. It took revised language in a law for the Loons to have the go-ahead.

State Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL Minneapolis, serves as the transportation committee chair and said that particular tweak wasn’t too much of a hassle, but he’s growing increasingly tired of the process tied to each specialty plate. So much so that he authored a bill creating a committee to explore an administrative process away from the Capitol. The special license plate review committee will start up in 2025.

“It grew out of my frustration with being confronted with several dozen requests — and these all come as separate bills that take time in the committee hearing process,” Dibble said. “We have much bigger issues that we have to spend time on without having all of our time seized up by all these minor issues of these specialty license plates … we need as much time as we can possibly get. Our committees usually go late. We usually have to put in extra hearings to get all the work done.”

He’s also concerned with plates becoming “politically supercharged” and divisive, he said. He brought up the example of anti-abortion advocates wanting a plate, which would direct money to anti-abortion organizations. That’s not something he wants to have to settle.

“Other states have handled this whole process more efficiently and much better, so we’re going to just take a look at what’s going on around the country and see if there’s a better idea,” he said.

As transportation chair, he’s been vocal about trying to keep specialty plates out, he said — partially because he’s concerned the increased plate variety makes it harder to identify cars.

“But last cycle, a couple of them got through,” he said. “Including the Vikings.”

Despite Dibble’s qualms, there’s no denying specialty plates have been popular on the roads. Since January, the DVS has offered five Minnesota sports teams plates, costing drivers $15.50, plus an annual donation. The Vikings plate is the bestseller, with 2,623 sold, according to the DVS.

That’s followed by Wild plates, with 1,144 sold, then plates for the Twins (1,026), Timberwolves (605) and Lynx (56). To keep the plate, those with sports plates have to make an annual $30 donation to each team’s corresponding foundation — or, rather, philanthropy account, since that law was adjusted.

“I think you’re going to see [sports team plates] becoming a part of our culture,” said Loper, with DVS. “And I smile every time I think that the Minnesota United plate is going to support the Loon Restoration Project. If there’s one thing that’s more iconic than our standard blue and white license plate in Minnesota, it’s the call of a loon.”

The Minnesota United $30 donation to the Loon Restoration Project will go toward reducing loon mortality and exposure to lead-based fishing tackle, as well as protecting nesting habitat.

Other specialty plates that hit the market earlier this year are the blackout plate and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office plate.

As of May 22, 87,990 blackout plates have been sold, according to Loper. Those are paired with an annual $30 contribution to support DVS operations.

So far, 1,254 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office plates have been sold. An annual $25 contribution accompanying those plates benefit the Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag Reward Account to bring attention to cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people and educate the public.

Loper said that if the Timberwolves continue to do well in the playoffs — “I’m not going to say anything about winning things that involve rings because I don’t want to jinx it” — DVS will be ready. Plates are printed on demand.

As for his favorite, it will always be the classic blue and white plate, he said. Sliver of green on top.

“It’s just something that screams Minnesota to me,” Loper said. “I’ve had one as long as I can remember.”

ST. PAUL, Minn. (GRAY) – On Sunday night, the 93rd Minnesota Legislature adjourned for the final time. The legislature ended in chaotic fashion, as DFLers brought the gavel down to pass bills before adjourning Sunday.

Several bills did not make it across the desk before the midnight deadline, including a bonding bill, a sports betting bill, and a bill to put an Equal Rights Amendment on the State Constitution.

Bonding discussions fell apart due to partisan tension on the final day of the session. While a fully funded infrastructure package was unlikely to pass, a smaller cash bill had the votes needed to get through both the house and senate. The bill did not pass the senate in time for the midnight deadline, missing it by a matter of seconds. Republicans pinned the lack of a deal on poor time management from the DFL.

“There was a provision in the cash bonding bill that failed by 30 seconds in the Democrat majority senate,” said House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring).

DFLers, however, said the deal fell apart due to Republican filibustering.

“If you follow the rules, that can’t pass midnight, there was one member who was loud and interruptive. And so, we lost a bonding bill for the people of Minnesota as a result,” said Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul).

Reportedly, a sports betting deal was in the works just hours before midnight, but House author Zach Stephenson said in a post online that they ran out of time.

An Equal Rights Amendment was also just a few hours of debate away from potential passage in the Senate. For months, the House and Senate had been working to come to an agreement on language in the bill, and by the final weekend, there was optimism the two caucuses were on the same page.

“I believe that the Senate did have the votes. That was my condition for taking up on the [House] floor and spending the 15 hours that we did, was I had to have a pretty good sense that the senate would be able to take it up and pass it,” said Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park).

Hortman believes that the bill simply ran out of time, again blaming the Republican filibuster.

“Part of what happened this week, it deprived the senate of the opportunity, the time to have that conversation,” she said.

Republicans said too much time was lost in the final weekend negotiating a rideshare deal, one which was sent off to the governor’s desk in time for the end of the session.

Governor Walz said on Monday that he’s happy with the work that came out of the 2024 session and does not plan on calling a special session this year.

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