In his final State of the State address on April 28, Gov. Tim Walz reflected on his eight years in office and outlined his closing legislative priorities. Proposals included an expanded Dependent Care Tax Credit, a sales tax cut, a social media tax, funding for permanent supportive housing and first-time homebuyer assistance, a bonding bill, gun safety measures, and a centralized agency to combat fraud.
Whether the governor's priorities or the legislature's priorities reach his desk depends on how the two chambers navigate their divide, as the tied House and slim DFL majority in the Senate continue to shape what legislation has a realistic path forward.
House leadership has signaled it is unlikely to consider proposals that have not already advanced through its own chamber, citing concerns about bills arriving from the Senate without bipartisan support in the tied House. The House plans to pass standalone bills and finally set its budget targets, based on bills previously voted out of the Ways and Means Committee. The budget targets total $41 million in FY26-27, with most directed toward public safety and nothing allocated for K-12 education.
The Senate, meanwhile, expects most of its priority bills to clear by the end of this week, including a safety and security package, health and human services bills, and a gun violence prevention bill. Rather than setting budget targets and advancing individual funding bills, the Senate plans to pass a broader supplemental finance bill spanning multiple areas of state government.
Senate Supplemental Finance Bill
Last week, the Senate Finance Committee passed a supplemental budget bill spanning major areas of state government and totaling $102 million in FY26-27. Included in that bill was $24 million to address lost compensatory revenue for school districts.
Gun Violence Prevention Bill
The Senate Finance Committee passed legislation outlining the Senate DFL gun violence prevention priorities last week. The bill includes a ban on semi-automatic weapons and $19 million for school safety aid for public schools. While this may pass the Senate, it faces a tougher path in the divided House, where Republicans are expected to push for nonpublic school safety aid.
Important Date
May 18, 2026: Adjournment of Legislative Session
Helpful Links
For updates on activities at the House of Representatives, visit the House Session Daily website.
For updates on activities at the Senate, visit Senate Media Services.
To follow committee hearings, visit the Combined Committee Schedule.
To watch House committee and floor sessions, visit the House of Representatives YouTube Channel.
To watch Senate committee and floor sessions, visit the Senate YouTube Channel.
Current list of Legislative Retirements
