Session Update: Senate Advances State Government, Elections Bill

The Senate held another marathon floor session Monday, April 26, debating the merits of the omnibus state government, elections and military affairs budget bill. The Senate version of H.F. 1952 encompasses measures designed to trim the size and cost of state government, provide oversight of federal COVID-related funds and reform the election process.

Senator Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake and chair of the State Government and Elections Committee, said that the pandemic has altered Minnesotans’ lives, and state government operations need to adjust as well. She said her bill further works to improve the state's election process. “My major focus was to increase public confidence in the process and in the outcome for all. Elections are about voters,” she said.

DFL members offered a number of election-related amendments to the bill, including removing the establishment of provisional ballots, removing the ban on cities’ ability to implement ranked-choice voting and restoring voting rights for felons when the incarceration portion of their sentence is complete. All of the DFL election amendments failed to win Republican support before the omnibus bill passed the Senate on a divided vote.