State lawmakers preparing for September special session

Minnesota state lawmakers just finished a special session but are already making plans to return before the end of the year.

Lawmakers will face off again over bonus pay for essential workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

Among the bills passed by the Legislature during the recent special session is a provision to pay $250 million to potentially thousands of front-line essential workers, which could include long-term care workers, nurses, grocery store workers, small business owners and many others.

A nine-member committee is set to determine how the money will be divided — three appointed by Gov. Tim Walz, three by the Republican-controlled Senate and three by the DFL-controlled House of Representatives. Seven of the nine members will need to approve any final plan for the money.

Political analyst Steven Schier said that won’t be easy.

"Getting seven out of nine to agree to anything in the Legislature is difficult but particularly it’s difficult because you have to get at least one Republican to agree with all the Democrats. Good luck with that," Schier said.

He added that decisions like this become even harder the closer we get to another election.

The recommendations are due by Sept. 6, when the Legislature will meet again in a special session to consider them.