Minnesota lawmakers hope to put a new state budget — and fears of a potential government shutdown — to rest Monday in a special session where bills negotiated largely in private are put up for high-stakes public votes.

Legislators started work at 10 a.m. Monday and have to wrap up by 7 a.m. Tuesday.

The Minnesota Legislature is three weeks past its original deadline to enact a two-year state budget by the May 19th regular session deadline, and Minnesotans say there’s plenty of blame to go around.

Minnesota State lawmakers adjourned their 2025 regular legislative session before the midnight deadline, remaining deadlocked on several key budget bills.

Some years, state legislative sessions surge to a climax on their final day, a flurry of activity providing a sustained adrenaline rush, culminating in smiles of satisfaction as a midnight deadline is met for completing the people’s business.

There are six days until the Minnesota legislative session deadline when lawmakers are supposed to pass a balanced budget. It’s all but certain there will have to be a special session to finish their work.

A long-ago shift of a portion of seasonal home property taxes away from schools is messing with communities, says Sen. Grant Hauschild, who has introduced legislation to replace a portion of the taxes.

The last time the DFL held the House Taxes Committee chair, it was May 2024 and marathon conference committee negotiations with the Senate reached a conclusion that was both anti-climactic and something of a bold crescendo.

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, almost every worker in Minnesota will be able to take up to 12 weeks paid leave to welcome a new child, take care of a parent in hospice or recover from an injury through the state’s newly launched paid family and medical leave program.

David Gottfried won Tuesday’s District 40B special election, a result that not only gives representation to parts of Roseville and Shoreview but could play a huge role in how the 2025 legislative session plays out.

As expected, DFL candidate David Gottfried ran away with a victory in Tuesday’s special election for District 40B, securing shared power for his party in the Minnesota House.

A mile or so away from the State Capitol, the state high school girls’ hockey tournament got underway Wednesday. Up the hill, lawmakers were having an off-ice battle over who should be allowed to participate in the games.