On the penultimate day of the 2024 legislative session, the Minnesota Senate spent more time in recess than in session.

Lawmakers are expected to gavel back in on Saturday evening after at least a seven-hour pause on the floor.

The Minnesota House paused for an hour break at 5:15 p.m., the first since gaveling in a few minutes past 11 a.m., after sending a bill to address racial disparities in the foster care system to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk and repassing a few other bills which head back to the Senate for final votes, including the cannabis omnibus bill.

With 68 ayes and 60 nays, representatives passed the third and final version of the cannabis policy and budget bill, which aims, in part, to speed up the start of legal recreational cannabis sales by pre-approving retail licenses as early as this summer.

A few provisions were newly lumped into this latest version of Rep. Zack Stephenson’s bill (DFL – Coon Rapids), including the anti-copper wire theft bill brought forward by the City of St. Paul, which would require a license to sell scrap copper wire.

Several Republicans took issue with the timing with which the copper wire language was moved into the larger bill and with the price tag of the yearly licensing fee.

“I’m seeing that the cost to do business in Minnesota will be $250 more expensive. At the end of the day, it’s that,” Rep. Isaac Schultz (R – Elmdale Township) said on the floor on Saturday, referring to the fee as a “tax” that he said should be included “onto the list of new taxes… passed earlier this week, in this body, when the voices of the minority were shut out.”

The latest version of the copper wire bill language, authored by Rep. Athena Hollins (DFL – St. Paul), includes more license waivers for people, including auctioneers, who rely on recycling for work and a twice-a-year free pass for any resident to legally sell up to $25 worth of scrap copper wire, which would equate to about five to eight pounds, Hollins said on the floor.

“Just want to put in there, the ‘voice of the minority were shut out,’ and yet, we have an exception for auctioneers in our copper wire language. Interesting,” she said in response to Rep. Schultz.

The cannabis bill heads back to the Senate for a final vote.

In the other chamber on Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL – St. Paul) motioned to recess before debate just ahead of an expected debate on the paid family and medical leave bill.

The pause of business ultimately lasted the entire afternoon and into the evening.

In the couple of hours they were in session, lawmakers had a bipartisan win with the unanimous passage of a bill meant to strengthen emergency medical services (EMS), including $24 million in one-time aid for EMS providers struggling financially. It heads to the House for a vote.

“Quite frankly, Mr. President, I wish we had more bills like this because I think there are many, many issues where across the aisle, we can have agreement,” bill author Sen. Judy Seeberger (DFL – Afton) said after the vote.

Senators are expected back at 7 p.m., which is delayed from the initial deadline, and lawmakers in the House were expected back from their hour break at 6:15 but had not returned as of this report.

As of a quarter to 7, a few high-profile pieces of legislation have not hit the floor of either chamber, including the rideshare minimum wage bill and the historical horse racing bill, which includes a provision for sports betting.

Minnesota lawmakers have until midnight on Sunday to finish business.