Democrats and Republicans once again share control of the Minnesota House. Then, why some question how Minnesota legislators use omnibus bills to passing policy. And, volunteers roll up their sleeves for public lands.
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Executive Producer: Victor Palomino
Producer: Xan Holston
Anchor: Grace Jacobson
Reader scripting: Joel Glaser, Victor Palomino
Fact checking: Joel Glaser, Victor Palomino
Editorial support: Emily Krumberger
Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood
Transcript
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HOST: This is North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live.
Today in Minnesota…
ANCHOR: …Democrats and Republicans once again share control of the Minnesota House. Then, why some are questioning how Minnesota legislators are passing laws. And, volunteers roll up their sleeves for public lands. I’m Gracie J.
Last week’s special election means neither Republicans nor Democrats will have a majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives. DFL-endorsed candidate X-P Lee won the special election to fill the vacancy left by the murder of Melissa Hortman. Lee is a former member of the Brooklyn Park City Council. There are now 67 Democrats and 67 Republicans serving in the House. The state’s next special election is November fourth to fill the vacancy left in the Senate by Nicole Mitchell. Mitchell resigned after a burglary conviction.
Next, the way Minnesota lawmakers bundle unrelated bills together into what is called an Omnibus bill is drawing fresh scrutiny. As Xan Holston explains, recent legal challenges have some questioning whether Omnibus bills are even legal under our state’s constitution.
Xan Holston: Last year's legislative session ended in shouts and anger as Democrats pushed through a more than 1400-page bill in the final minute.
[Nat sound: "Not available on the website. This is a horrible way to govern."]
Xan Holston: The bill that caused all the shouting was an omnibus bill, a single bill that contained legislation on everything from gun control to paid leave. Legislative leaders from both parties often use omnibus bills to bundle together must-pass items, speed up the legislative process and make it harder for opponents to block controversial provisions.
Dr. Michael Minta: You know, it's obviously a very useful tool for party leaders and also for minority leaders, right, to get legislation that can't pass as a standalone bill.
Xan Holston: Dr Michael Minta is a political science professor at the University of Minnesota. He said omnibus bills give lawmakers leverage combining popular policies with unpopular ones in order to get both across the finish line. But omnibus bills aren't without controversy, while they can be powerful political tools, legislation in Minnesota is supposed to follow a single subject and title clause, a constitutional rule requiring that every bill deal with just one main topic. A state judge recently struck down a portion of last year's omnibus tax bill that banned binary triggers—aftermarket gun add-ons that let them fire with every pull and release of the trigger. For Dr Minta, putting unrelated provisions in omnibus bills is a calculated move that politicians are generally willing to attempt, even if it doesn't always work out.
Dr. Michael Minta: “Look, hey, we did our best, right? We got it in there,” they can say. “Hey, we did it and freaking court struck it down.”
Xan Holston: The courts aren't the only check on the process, and this isn't the first time that Minnesota has run into issues with omnibus bills being used to force through legislation that otherwise might not pass. In 2018 the Republican-led Senate introduced a nearly 1000-page omnibus budget bill hours before it was put up for a final vote. Then-Governor Mark Dayton vetoed that bill as well as an omnibus tax bill.
Nat sound: If they'd wanted to get that done for the benefit of the people of the people of Minnesota, they would have put them in separate bills.
Xan Holston: Dayton accused Republicans of including
watered-down versions of bills they had promised as
standalone bills, especially legislation dealing with the opioid crisis and money for elder care.
Dr. Michael Minta: Now that's the drawback, right, of putting a unpopular provision within a bill, is that it could sink the likelihood of the bill being passed at all.
Xan Holston: Despite the risks, lawmakers are leaning on the tactic more and more as a way to push their agendas through.
Dr. Michael Minta: That's definitely happening more because of party polarization. I mean, the margins are so slim in terms of who can win.
Xan Holston: Minta thinks this polarization means we're likely to see more omnibus bills. And with special interest groups watching, we're also likely to see more lawsuits. A healthcare giant recently lost its case challenging the 2024 tax omnibus, and a construction trade organization is challenging part of it that changes worker definitions.
Dr. Michael Minta: They know what's in these bills, and if they can't stop it from passing, then they will sue.
Xan Holston: For North Star Stories, I’m Xan Holston.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
Volunteers across the state will take part in National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 27. National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event, attracting thousands of park enthusiasts each year. Volunteers help restore and preserve public lands of all types and sizes, providing an opportunity to show appreciation for these
unique places. The University of Minnesota Master Naturalist program is coordinating at least ten service sites, with projects ranging from invasive species removal to pollinator garden restoration. To celebrate this year, all national parks that normally charge an entrance fee will offer free admission on September 27.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers.org.