ST. PAUL 鈥� Minnesota Lawmakers are set to take up a tall order on Monday, June 9 鈥� passing 14 bills in one day.
The one-day special session for Monday, called by Gov. Tim Walz on Friday, June 6, will comprise 10 budget bills and four non-budget bills. According to a special session agreement signed by Walz and legislative leaders on Friday, lawmakers will not pass any other bills other than the 14 agreed upon in advance, or pass any amendments to those bills on Monday 鈥� unless otherwise agreed upon by legislative leaders.
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Leaders struck a budget deal on May 15 for what is looking to be a $66-67 billion state budget for 2026-27, with $2 billion in net cuts over four years. Cuts are coming in heaving for the state budget as lawmakers stare down a $6 billion deficit projected by 2028-29.
Data center provisions
Lawmakers will have a standalone bill on Monday to pass tax and policy provisions surrounding as Meta builds a new center in Rosemount, with Microsoft and Amazon in Minnesota.
Under current law, Data centers in Minnesota get a sales tax exemption on software, hardware and electricity for 20 years, or until 2042, whichever comes earlier. Hortman said on Friday that the bill Monday is set to change this to 35 years or until 2042 鈥� whichever is later, not earlier.
Hortman said the electricity sales tax exemption will also be repealed. So, data centers will no longer get an exemption for electricity, but will still get the exemption for hardware and software. She also said the data center bill will carry new environmental and energy 鈥済uardrails鈥� for data centers.
Undocumented immigrant health insurance rollback
Monday will also have a standalone bill to repeal coverage for undocumented adults in Minnesota under MinnesotaCare 鈥� a 1992-established state health insurance program 鈥� while keeping coverage for children.
The repeal of coverage for adults has been clear for some time as it was part of an earlier budget deal struck by leaders and Walz on May 15. What wasn鈥檛 clear was whether the bill would travel in the Health budget bill or as a standalone.
Speaker of the House, Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said Republicans wanted to ensure the measure would pass, so a new deal struck on Friday allows the bill to travel alone but with the contingency that if the bill doesn鈥檛 pass, neither will any funding for the Department of Health, Demuth said Friday.
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It marks a compromise to continue funding children, as Republicans were looking this session to repeal any state-funded assistance to undocumented immigrants. The comprise has seen push back from community members and Democrats who have said they won鈥檛 vote yes on the measure.
鈥淐ertainly, undocumented adults are deserving of health care as well,鈥� Hortman said. 鈥淏ut in order to get a budget agreement that funds the government for the state of Minnesota, this is a compromise that I was willing to make, and if it requires just my vote, then that's how we'll get it done.鈥�
A bonding bill
Hortman and Demuth confirmed Friday that there will be a bonding bill this session. Demuth said it will be $700 million in appropriations, with roughly $250 million of that going to roads and wastewater treatment.
Demuth confirmed that the bonding bill will carry funding for the Miller Building at Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center 鈥� funding that over 50 sheriffs and county attorneys urged for on June 5 after Democrat leaders Hortman and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said a bonding bill this session
Renville County Sheriff Scott Hable said on June 5 that the lack of mental health beds in the state, and the current pause on the state鈥檚 48-hour rule, which required Minnesota鈥檚 Department of Human Services to transfer inmates who are civilly committed to a state-operated mental health facility within 48 hours, has caused jails to 鈥渓iterally become warehouses for the mentally ill.鈥�
Traditionally, the state passes a budget in odd years and a bonding bill in even years, but the state has gone since 2023, with lawmakers failing to pass a bonding bill in the 2024 legislative session.
Safe and sick time modifications
As part of Friday鈥檚 deal, Demuth said lawmakers on Monday are also set to pass changes to the state鈥檚 earned sick and safe time law, passed in 2023, which requires employers to provide each employee in Minnesota at least one hour of paid sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked.
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Hortman said the bill will allow employers to require up to seven days' advance notice for foreseeable sick and safe time use. It will also allow employers to request 鈥渞easonable documentation鈥� if leave exceeds two consecutive workdays.
A version of safe and sick time provisions on May 7 would have rolled back the 2023 even further, allowing full exemptions for safe and sick time for farms with five or fewer workers and small businesses with three or fewer employees.
Special sessions not so special to Minnesota
The special session announcement comes after weeks of closed-door negotiations following the regular session adjournment on May 19. During the seven of 17 budget bills and signed 26 stand-alone bills into law, including teacher pension reform, DWI reform, closure of the Stillwater prison and a new state fossil 鈥� the Giant Beaver.
鈥淣othing ever completely broke down. It just took a little bit longer than we anticipated in the very tight margins ... 101 Democrats in the Legislature, 100 Republicans in the Legislature," Demuth said on Friday. "This work truly reflects coming together in a bipartisan way ... We're looking forward to Monday, getting things closed up, and then moving forward."
The special session agreement signed by Walz and Legislative leaders also stipulates that the Legislature adjourn by 7 a.m. on Tuesday. This Tuesday deadline is not a constitutional deadline, rather a written agreement between leaders, but one that House Leader Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said lawmakers 鈥渋ntend鈥� to meet as the July 1 deadline of enacting a budget and avoiding a partial government shutdown approaches.
鈥淚n politics, as in life, you are only as good as your word,鈥� Hortman said Friday. 鈥淲e have given our word. We have signed our name to that document, and I believe all the people who signed that document intend to.鈥�
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Since 2010, Minnesota has seen six special sessions to pass a state budget: 2021, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2011 and 2010, according to the
The Trust Project
