2024 Minnesota Legislature Session Ends Amidst Controversy
TL/DR –
The 2024 legislative session in Minnesota ended in chaos as the Democrats passed a massive 1,400-page tax bill with provisions involving higher education, energy, transportation, and gun safety. The bill, which included minimum pay standards for Uber and Lyft drivers, faced opposition from GOP legislators and was passed just before the midnight deadline. The session also saw the passing of a cannabis bill and a bill for emergency medical services providers, but failed to pass bills for ranked-choice voting and sports betting.
Minnesota Legislature’s Chaotic 2024 Session Ends with Massive Tax Bill
The Minnesota Legislature’s 2024 session ended in confusion as Democrats overloaded a tax bill with various proposals. This mammoth 1,400-page bill included provisions on higher education, energy, transportation, and gun safety.
With an hour left before the midnight deadline, House Speaker Melissa Hortman suspended the debate and called for a bill vote, which GOP legislators opposed, accusing her of tyranny and communism.
Minority Leader Lisa Demuth was outraged at the proceedings, accusing Hortman of suppressing legitimate motions and vowing to file an ethics complaint against her.
Half an hour later, the Senate experienced similar chaos. Senate President Bobby Joe Champion struggled to be heard over the uproar as he called for a vote on the bill setting minimum pay for Uber and Lyft drivers. Despite the disorder, the bill passed with DFL support and headed to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk.
Johnson and Demuth held consecutive news conferences after the session, blaming the Democrats for the chaos. The DFL leaders justified their actions as a response to Republican filibustering and lengthy personal stories.
Some provisions were left unattended in the final session’s hours. The House passed a modest cash bonding bill, but the Senate missed the deadline by 30 seconds. Also, the Senate didn’t pass an equal rights ballot initiative that the House had passed earlier.
The Senate, with a single-vote Democratic majority, lagged behind the House due to Senator Omar Fateh’s absence. Murphy and Hortman defended the negotiation, stating its importance to drivers and service users. Johnson critiqued the Democrats for not doing more on Saturday.
Republican leaders were furious when Senate DFL leaders cut off debate on a bill over cannabis regulations. The cannabis bill subsequently passed and went to Walz’s desk, along with a bill for $24 million funding for emergency medical services providers.
Throughout the evening, the House and Senate passed several routine larger bills. However, a bill allowing cities to implement ranked-choice voting failed in the House. Both chambers also approved a ban on Historic Horse Racing (HHR) and sent it to Walz, following the Racing Commission’s vote to legalize it earlier this year.
State Rep. Zack Stephenson announced on social media that legislators were not going to pass the sports betting bill. He, however, expressed optimism about finding a deal that all major stakeholders can accept in the future.
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