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Minnesota lawmakers picked up the pace Wednesday, moving through several sprawling bills and other measures with three voting days left before their adjournment deadline.

Even as agreed-upon legislation was attracting final votes, the DFL-led Legislature still had a fair amount to do. Lawmakers had several spending touch-up bills, a public construction projects bill, an equal rights amendment, a proposal to legalize sports betting and minimum wages for rideshare drivers outstanding.

Republicans are in the minority in both chambers and continued extensive debate on some of the bills Wednesday, slowing their passage. That could whittle down the eventual body of work because anything not voted upon by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday is stymied.

In the Senate, GOP lawmakers brought a motion to expel DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell, of Woodbury, following her burglary arrest last month. It was ruled out of order and further action was held off on a party-line vote.

For weeks, DFLers have resisted efforts to impose discipline or reach an ethics finding against Mitchell until her criminal case is aired in court, which won’t come before the session finishes. Republicans say that’s unacceptable given the 34-33 power split.

“If I ever did something so egregiously wrong, I would hope you would all bring the same motion against me. That’s how serious it is,” said Sen. Zach Duckworth, R-Lakeville. “What’s the threshold for holding each other accountable? If not this? What does one have to do for their fellow members in the Minnesota Senate to say you have crossed a line?” 

GOP leaders this week said they would grind discussions to a halt if Democrats refused to include them in discussions about a capital investment bill, which funds construction projects across the state. Republicans also set conditions for working with DFLers to pass the bill, including adding $30 million for emergency medical services and dropping trigger provisions in a gun bill heading into conference committee. 

Republicans have unique leverage in discussions about capital investment bills because their votes are needed to let the state take on debt to finance projects.

House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, urged DFL leaders to skip a vote on the equal rights amendment. 

“If this had been a true priority for House Democrats, they would have had this done earlier,” Demuth told reporters on Tuesday. “The Senate did pass the ERA bill last year. The House has waited, the Democrats have waited to bring that up until the final weeks of session. So that is part of a discussion." 

The proposal to put the amendment before voters in 2026 could come up for a House vote later Wednesday. But its prospects in the Senate are uncertain. Republicans also said they would withhold votes on the bill unless Gov. Tim Walz signed into law a bill that added clarification in the Minnesota Human Rights Act giving religious organizations some exemptions.

Negotiations to close out the legislative session on time took place late Tuesday, out of the public eye. It wasn’t clear whether DFL and GOP leaders were able to come closer to a deal.

Late Tuesday, House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said that Republicans were “intentionally throwing up roadblocks and delays.”

Dana Ferguson

Author

The hours are long and votes are coming in bunches at the Capitol, where lawmakers are closing in on their adjournment deadline.

The Minnesota State Capitol just after sunset

Time pressure builds on Minnesota lawmakers as pace of bill consideration picks up

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