ST PAUL, Minn. — A long night Saturday and an even longer day Sunday are ahead for Minnesota lawmakers. The second to last day of session, while busy with discussion, was filled with recesses and discussions off the floor of either chamber.
Saturday morning, the Senate unanimously approved an EMS aid package totaling $30 million. That includes $24 million in aid for EMS providers working in Greater Minnesota. Six million dollars is for a sprint medic pilot program.
"I believe that people should have access to those timely, high-quality services, regardless of where they live in Minnesota," Republican State Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-09), said.
That aid package passed unanimously.
"It was a nice reprieve from some of the partisan battles to see a unanimous vote," Rasmusson said. "My hope is that it will maybe show a template for maybe solving some of the tricky problems that we still have to deal with this session."
There are still a slew of bills that lawmakers are considering and discussing. An important piece of legislation concerns rideshare drivers.
"If you ask me, are you guys nervous about what's going on?" Eid Ali, president of the Minnesota Uber Lyft Drivers Association, said. "Of course we are nervous."
The future of that legislation is up in the air. Senator Omar Fateh, DFL-62, is a major proponent but was missing from votes in the Senate Saturday morning.
On his X account, the Senator said in part, "Let’s get our bill protecting Rideshare drivers signed into law. ALL workers, regardless of background, deserve these strong labor protections."
The House spent much of the night discussing the Equal Rights Amendment. Much of the discussion centered on trans individuals.
"This is about ensuring that we are not elevating trans women above biological women," Minnesota State Representative Anne Neu Brindley (R-28B), said.
"The words I'm hearing are as if affirming and protecting the civil rights of one group, of trans people, takes away from the rights of others," State Representative Larry Kraft, DFL-46A, said.
Sports betting is still out there to be discussed. State Senator Matt Klein (DFL-53) told KARE 11 Wednesday he still hopes to get this passed this session.
Lawmakers are back in session for the final day Sunday.
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