State of the State, Disaster Contingency AccountState of the State, and more
State of the State
Gov. Tim Walz presented his annual State of the State address on Wednesday evening, the first of his second term. The speech was delivered to a joint session of the legislature, between lengthy floor sessions in both the House and Senate. The 30-minute speech reflected on bills that had already made their way to his desk including federal tax conformity, universal school meals, unemployment benefits for the iron ore industry, establishing Juneteenth as a state holiday, and the commitment to carbon-free energy by 2040. Walz also touched on priorities he hopes will be included in the next two-year budget, including paid family and medical leave, “Walz Checks,” gun safety measures, a child tax credit, tying education funding to inflation, and establishing a department of children and families.
Disaster Contingency Account
Omnibus Bills Update
Several Omnibus budget bills have made their way to the House or Senate floor after being heard by either the House Ways and Means Committee or the Senate Finance Committee. After these bills are heard by both bodies, conference committees must be appointed for differences to get sorted out. Omnibus bills have been heard by the House and Senate every day this week; here is more information about the massive budget bills that are being passed.
Bills passed by the Senate
- HF1830 – Omnibus State Government and Elections
- HF1937 – Omnibus Military and Veteran Affairs
- HF1999 – Omnibus Legacy
- HF2073 – Omnibus Higher Education
- HF2310 – Omnibus Environment and Climate
- SF2744 – Omnibus Commerce
- SF2909 – Omnibus Judiciary and Public Safety
- SF2934 – Omnibus Human Services
- SF2995 – Omnibus Health and Human Services
- SF3035 – Omnibus Jobs, Economic Development, Labor, and Industry
Bills passed by the House
- HF238 – Omnibus Child Care
- HF917 – Omnibus Housing Policy
- HF1830 – Omnibus State Government and Elections Finance
- HF1937 – Omnibus Veterans and Military Affairs
- SF1955 – Omnibus Agriculture, Broadband and Rural Development
- HF1999 – Omnibus Legacy Finance
- HF2075 – Omnibus Higher Education
- HF2292 – Omnibus Early Education Bill
- HF2310 – Omnibus Environment, Climate and Energy
- HF2497 – Omnibus Education Finance
- HF2887 – Omnibus Transportation
Conference Committees
So far, the Omnibus Legacy Bills and the Omnibus Higher Education Bills are the only bills that have been referred to conference committees, but the other omnibus budget bills will also be referred to conference committee once they pass out of both bodies. The House and Senate must pass identical versions of these bills off to Gov. Walz before they can become law.
Who represents me?
Governor’s bill tracker
Senate Omnibus and Policy Bills
Governor and Legislature’s Budget Target Agreement
May 22: Last Day of the 2023 Legislative Session