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Clock runs out on state lawmakers

Delays over rideshare bill, combined with GOP filibusters took too much time off the clock.

ST PAUL, Minn. — Chaos and noise reigned in the final hour of the 2024 session. The DFL majority sparked outrage among Republicans by passing several pieces of legislation wrapped up into one as the session drew to a close.

House Republicans spent more than 15 minutes yelling at House Speaker Melissa Hortman, accusing her and fellow Democrats of cutting off debate too early and pushing a bill across the finish line without enough vetting. 

The scene was repeated in the Minnesota Senate when that body took up the House bill, in the final half hour of session.  In both cases the leaders used their power to end debate on one bill in order to take up another.

Democrats went into the Rules Committee to add these bills to the Omnibus Tax bill:

  • HF 5242 (Transportation, Housing, Labor)
  • HF 4247 (Scope of Practice)
  • HF 4024 (Higher Education)
  • HF 2609 (Straw purchase/binary trigger ban)
  • SF 4942 (Agriculture/Energy)
  • SF 5335 (DHS)
  • SF 4699 (HHS)
  • Paid family leave, HF 5363, 4th engrossment
  • Tax Bill

It became clear Sunday evening that Democrats would run out of time to pass all the bills they wanted to before the 2024 Legislative Session wraps. Part of it's due to successful GOP filibusters, and part of it's due to the time lost Saturday when the Senate came to a pause while negotiations on the rideshare bill played out in private.

Uber/Lyft

Provisions from a deal reached Saturday night to set a statewide minimum wage for rideshare drivers passed the House Sunday but as of 9:30 p.m. and passed the Senate late Sunday night.  If it hadn't passed, the Minneapolis City Council's ordinance that's opposed by the transportation companies will go into effect.  The bill passed Sunday was the result of negotiations that included the rideshare companies.

Equal Rights Amendment

The ERA passed the House at 4:30 a.m. Sunday, but had not been taken up by the Senate Sunday evening. That dimmed the prospects of it making through before time runs out at midnight.

"The question really for us is time," DFL Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy told reporters.

"It is an issue that we have to debate. It is language we haven’t debated before in the Minnesota Senate, so I really do think if we can get there, we’ll take it up. But we have to give ourselves and Minnesotans time for a debate that is fair for the minority and the majority."

Republicans have maneuvered in the House and Senate to filibuster on other bills to run out the clock on the ERA.  But GOP Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson blamed Democrats.

"They have pushed everything. If this was a priority for them, the ERA would’ve been done weeks ago, but now they’ve waited until the very last day, the very last hours, to have debate on a bill we haven’t seen the language yet in the Senate.

Straw Purchaser Bill

The bill making straw purchasing of firearms a felony passed the House earlier in the weekend but hadn't come to the Senate Floor yet as of Sunday evening.  It was added to the omnibus tax bill that passed during the chaotic closing minutes, and is headed to the governor's desk.

The bill was inspired by the fatal shootings of two Burnsville police officers and a first responder in February. But Republicans have opposed it because it also includes a ban on binary triggers, described as triggers that allow the shooter to fire more than one bullet with a single squeeze of the trigger.

Sports Betting

It was also clear by Sunday night that it would take a miracle to pass a sports betting bill in the time remaining.  The House and Senate both did act to bar the racetracks from installing Historic Horse Racing gambling machines in their card rooms. Those machines were approved by the Racing Commission to be installed starting May 24, in response to the impact of legalized sports betting on racetracks.

Construction Bonding Bill 

Negotiations went on throughout the weekend behind closed doors on the public works construction bonding bill.  In theory it could be passed in the time remaining, but it's very unlikely at this point that Republicans will give the votes needed to pass it. Any bill that involves general obligation bonds requires a three-fifths supermajority. In the House, at least 11 GOP votes would be needed if all Democrats voted for it, and in the Senate at least seven Republican votes would be needed.

Ranked Choice Voting 

A bill that would allow an expansion of ranked choice betting in Minnesota failed after it failed to garner the minimum 68 votes needed.

Cannabis Tweaks 

A bill creating an early license application process for some cannabis businesses passed the House and the Senate and is headed to Gov. Walz's desk.

Emergency Medical Services

A bill that would streamline regulation of EMS services across the state and devotes $30 million in funding to help financially struggling rural ambulance services has now passed both chambers and is headed to Governor's desk. 

Throughout the day Sunday the House and Senate debated supplemental funding bills created by House/Senate conference committees. Those covered a variety of topics, including Human Services, Transportation, Housing, Labor, Higher Education, and Public Safety.

Nuclear Option flap 

Senate Republicans were outraged Sunday that Democrats cut off the debate on the Cannabis Tweaks bill after 5 hours of debate. DFL Majority Leader Erin Murphy said the GOP's arguments had become redundant and appeared to be a stall tactic.

"Remember that bill has been through multiple committees again this session. We’ve had about 10 hours worth of hearings on the floor," Sen. Murphy said. 

"It is a well vetted piece of legislation, and the questions coming to us last night were not necessarily about the policies. It was an intention to try and slow us down."

Republicans said they were surprised by the DFL's move to "call the question" go straight to a roll call vote before the debate had ended. They spent two hours on maneuvers intended to end the session early, to prevent Democrats from passing any more bills.

"Calling the question hasn’t happened in 15 years, and so it’s been used a handful of times in the last 25 years," Sen. Johnson tole reporters.

"And so, to do that on these bills, to get your agenda through on the very last day, when you have all these bills? Yes, it makes people pretty upset. That’s a mismanagement of the schedule, now you’re going to abuse the minority."

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