Safer schools, better protections for vulnerable adults, reining in a flood of opioid prescriptions — these were all big priorities for the Minnesota Legislature when it convened in February.
So what do noxious weed inspectors, licensing for hair braiders and regulating solar energy have to do with the state’s most pressing needs?
They’re all crammed into a nearly 600-page supplemental spending bill the Minnesota Senate debated in a marathon session Thursday. The bill’s title alone, “A bill for an act relating to…” stretches on for more than four pages.
Despite state law generally limiting legislation to one topic, bills spanning a medley of issues are common place at the state Legislature. That didn’t stop Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, from describing the voluminous tomb of spending and policy changes as “unconstitutional.”
Other Democrats tried to add their own priorities to the omnibus legislation that was dubbed by one Senator as a “mega bus” bill. But Republicans largely rejected attempts to add things like Internet neutrality or stricter background checks for gun sales.
After roughly 11 hours of debate by lawmakers, including considering more than 50 proposed amendments, the bill passed with a 34-31 party-line vote.
Republicans hold a tenuous one-seat majority in the Senate and there is little chance the entire bill that was discussed Thursday will ever become law. The legislation is more of a starting position in negotiations with colleagues in the Republican-led House and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton.
Minnesota has a $329 million budget surplus and lawmakers have until May 21 to decide how much of it to spend on things like education, health care, social programs, transportation and conforming the state’s tax code with recent federal changes.
State Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Vernon Center, who chairs the Senate finance committee, acknowledged the far-reaching impact small adjustments to the state’s $46 billion budget can have on residents and businesses. The Legislature approved the current two-year budget in 2017.
“Today’s bill is a modest supplemental spending proposal that mirrors our modest budget surplus, but still has the potential to significantly improve the lives of Minnesotans,” Rosen said about six hours into Thursday’s Senate debate.
]The Senate still has to unveil ideas for changing the tax code and a proposal for state borrowing to fund infrastructure projects. Senators also have to reconcile any legislation they pass with lawmakers in the House, which is taking a slower approach to approving supplemental spending measures, beginning Thursday with education.
Republican leaders will then need to reach an agreement with Gov. Mark Dayton, who like Sen. Marty, has expressed disdain for legislation covering a mixed bag of topics. The governor said he’s warned lawmakers not to try to make him accept spending and policy provisions he objects to by including them with other legislation he supports.[related_articles location=”right” show_article_date=”false” article_type=”automatic-primary-tag”
“I told them if something is truly objectionable, I will veto it,” Dayton said. “Send it to me early enough, we can come back and renegotiate and get that out.”
Bill Salisbury contributed to this report.