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Minnesota legislative leaders say budget talks progressing; special session likely to follow
Summary
Legislative leaders gave a progress update on budget and policy negotiations, saying many conference committees are nearing agreement, tax work remains methodical, and a special session called by the governor is likely once revisers finish drafting language.
At a legislative press briefing, a House legislative leader said negotiations over the 2025 budget and policy bills are progressing across most conference committees but that tax negotiations remain methodical and could delay final posting and enactment.
The leader said K–12, health, children and families, a category labeled “other DHS,” human services, environment, commerce and workforce items are largely close to completion. Energy and transportation still required work, and capital investment discussions were active between Senate Republicans and House negotiators. "The tax process is a public process, so you're watching that in real time," the leader said, describing taxes as "methodical, thorough."
Why this matters: the Legislature faces a sequence of administrative deadlines tied to budgeting and layoffs. The leader said committees are aiming to finish work rapidly because employers must send layoff notices to any entity not funded by June 1; that date frames the calendar for finishing negotiations. The leader noted May 30 and May 31 as likely final work days if the tax bill cannot be wrapped up sooner and said the goal would be to finish by May 30 to avoid working over the holiday weekend.
Leaders discussed posting procedures used in a prior session: the 2019 model of posting reviser numbers, full text, signature pages and spreadsheets online and not taking up items until they have been posted for 24 hours. "We are looking at the 2019 model," the leader said, and added that language would be posted "as soon as they're done."
On timing, the leader said the governor will call any special session and that, based on current progress, a one-day special session remains realistic though it "could be a long day." The leader said the revisers must finish drafting before bills can be posted and that, historically, a single long day has been used to complete similar work.
House organization and process questions came up during the briefing. The leader described the House’s approach to conference committees—co-chairs and equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans—and said this structure is being used to try to reach agreements despite the chamber’s divided internal dynamics. The briefing also referenced the use of mediators in specific negotiations; the leader said representatives Torkelson and Stevenson were sent in to assist in transportation talks.
The briefing concluded with leaders saying they expected work to continue and that the governor would set the formal date for any special session once language and spreadsheets were posted and reconciling steps were complete.
