Capitol Wrap: Prince, paid leave, taxes and more
It was another busy week at the Minnesota Capitol.
For a quick roundup of the latest developments at the legislature, here is this week’s Capitol Wrap.
- Two more bills were signed into law this week.
Tuesday, Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill aimed at improving safety at oil refineries by requiring more skilled and trained contractors.
Then on Friday, the governor signed a bill to make it easier for Minnesotans to vote. DFL lawmakers say the bill will protect the freedom to vote, reduce the influence of dark money and foreign influence in Minnesota politics, and guarantee fair democracy for all Minnesotans, but Republican opponents claim the legislation weakens transparency and could lead to more fraud due to the pre-registration and permanent absentee provisions.
- The governor will soon sign another bill into law after it was given final approval by lawmakers this week.
Thursday, the Minnesota Senate easily passed a bill to rename a section of Highway 5 in Chanhassen after Prince.
The House approved the bill last month on the seven-year anniversary of his death, meaning the bill will likely be signed by the governor next week.
After the governor signs the bill, an official ceremony will be held to unveil the new highway signs.
- A few other important bills made notable progress this week.
The Minnesota Senate approved the tax omnibus bill by the narrowest of margins.
While it was approved last week by the House, a group of lawmakers still needs to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions before it can go to Gov. Walz’s desk.
The legislation approved by the Senate includes the largest amount of tax cuts in state history, something the DFL has proudly touted, although it also features new taxes that mostly target those making more than the average Minnesotan. It also removes income taxes on Social Security earnings for those making less than $100,000, which lawmakers say is 76% of the state’s seniors, although Republicans have strongly pushed to eliminate the tax on all Minnesota seniors. Additionally, it has a child tax credit of $620 per child (up to three) and direct rebates of $279, well below what the governor had pushed for.
Again, some of the details may change slightly as the House and Senate versions are morphed into a unified bill to send to Walz.
The closely watched paid family and medical leave bill passed the Minnesota House on Tuesday.
The bill offers Minnesota workers up to 12 weeks of paid family leave and up to an additional 12 weeks of paid medical leave.
Under the current federal law, workers can already take up to 12 weeks of family and medical leave without pay, but most workers can’t afford to take unpaid leave, lawmakers say.
That bill still has to get approval from the Senate before it can be signed into law by the governor.
Also passing the House this week were bills to:
- Create treatment requirements for mental illness for peace officers and firefighters before they can apply for duty disability benefits. It comes after the number of disability claims recently skyrocketed. Supporters say the measure can help reduce fraud, but it has also drawn strong opposition from first responders. That bill still needs to be approved by the Senate. The bill
- Modify some labor and industry policy provisions. The bill, which still needs Senate approval, supports collective bargaining for teachers, strengthens religious freedom in the workplace, and creates a way for licensed contract workers in other states to be able to work in Minnesota, according to lawmakers.
Lawmakers continue to work on many other pieces of legislation, including a sports betting bill, with less than a month left in the current session.
Follow the progress of several hot-button bills throughout the session on KSTP’s Legislative Tracker.
Click here to read last week’s Capitol Wrap.