While it is important to sort out what happened during the legislative session and the special session, the actions of a deranged man have overshadowed those details. In the early morning hours of June 14, a masked gunman visited the homes of several DFL lawmakers. He took the lives of DFL Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. He also shot and wounded DFL Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. At the time of this writing, they are miraculously expected to survive. 

I do not have the words to express my sorrow for this unspeakable act. It is hard to fathom how something like this could happen in our state, but it has happened, and the fallout will last for years to come. How this impacts the legislature and the operation of state government moving forward is yet to be seen, but I think it’s safe to say there will be changes in the day-to-day operations of the legislature, as well as in how lawmakers interact with each other and the public. 

I wish I had words of comfort to share, but right now we are all in shock that something like this could happen here. 

Special Session Held to Pass Biennial Budget 

Three weeks after the 2025 legislative session ended, the legislature held a one-day special session to take up and pass the remaining pieces of the state’s biennial budget and avert the looming partial government shutdown that would have started July 1. With the most evenly divided legislature possible, legislative leaders had to navigate a 67-67 split in the Minnesota House of Representatives and a one vote (34-33) Democratic majority in the Senate to secure bipartisan support for each of the various omnibus finance bills required under the Minnesota Constitution. Legislators had to seek bipartisan (and often unpopular) compromise, and many legislators expressed frustration with proposals they eventually voted to support. 

Biennial Budget Passed 

The bipartisan agreement to hold a one-day special session on June 9, 2025 left legislators just under 24 hours to debate and vote on the 14 bills agreed upon by leadership. In the end, legislators found a path forward and sent a $66 billion biennial budget that funded all areas of state government to Gov. Tim Walz and averted a government shut down. 

The overall budget is an eight percent decrease from previous biennium spending, as legislators sought to get ahead of the budget deficit looming in the next biennium. The 2025 omnibus finance bills lessen the gap between revenue and spending in FY 28-29 by 45 percent and leaves approximately $1.9 billion on the bottom line at the end of the biennium to help cover the state costs in the next biennium. The state budget outlook still predicts a deficit for FY 28-29, even with reductions made this legislative session. However, current projections will change significantly based on the economy and federal budget, which means the legislature could be back next session to pass an additional supplemental budget. 

Budget Related Bills 

In addition to the nine omnibus finance bills, the omnibus tax bill, and the omnibus capital investment bill, two other legislative proposals passed as “stand alone” bills due to the controversial nature of the topics and the complexity of the legislative negotiations. Many legislators wanted to vote for the overall omnibus bills that would have carried the legislation but were opposed to the specific issues. To ensure passage of the omnibus bills, two proposals were brought forward independently: a bill relating to data centers and a bill that eliminated health care coverage for undocumented adults. 

Special Session Anticipated This Fall 

While the one-day special session in June did establish the two-year budget, lawmakers have warned that additional work on the state budget could be required if significant federal cuts are enacted by Congress this summer. States receive a large amount of federal funding for Medicare programs, and if the cuts being considered in this area are passed by Congress this summer, state lawmakers are likely to need an additional special session this fall to respond.