Senate Leaders on Remaining Budget Work

The Senate convened the first special session of 2021 by holding a brief floor session Monday, June 14. Governor Tim Walz extended his peacetime emergency powers, generating the requirement for the legislature to meet. Lawmakers face a much bigger task; however, and need to pass as many as 14 major funding bills by July 1 in order to keep state operations functioning and avoid a government shutdown.

"Not every single budget is completely agreed to, but most of them are, and all of them will be, and it is our intention, in both the Senate and the House, to get done in a timely fashion...we will not go to July 1," said Majority Leader Paul Gazelka. In reference to a recent court ruling regarding state service shutdowns, Gazelka warned about the ramifications of failing to pass a budget. "The consequences are too great for Minnesota...whether it's corrections or nursing homes or highway patrol or things that need permits...think about all the things that the courts once figured out to pay that would not be paid this time around."

"Even if we get done by June 30th, the ramifications of ramping up to a shutdown are significant on people's lives who are affected by that, whether they work for the State of Minnesota...or whether they are people who are served by the work we do here in the State of Minnesota," said Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent. Kent said the work underway in agencies in preparation for a potential shutdown is "a waste of taxpayers dollars. That should inspire every single one of us to work thoughtfully and efficiently to get our budget done as quickly as possible so we don't waste money and resources..."

Following the floor session, the leaders met with the media.