Daily Digest: Time runs out on session
Good morning and welcome to Monday, the day the Legislature must adjourn even though yesterday was the last day they could pass bills. So what did pass and what didn't? Let's go to the Digest.
1. It was a late night after a long weekend as lawmakers once again ran right up to the deadline for getting their work done. They passed a tax bill and a supplemental spending bill, but they failed to pass a transportation funding bill, and an effort to put transportation projects in a last minute bonding bill failed in spectacular fashion. They're already talking about a special session to fix things, but that's up to Gov. Mark Dayton, and he isn't talking yet. (MPR News)
2. Once again lawmakers were asked to vote on massive pieces of legislation with little time to debate or even read the bills. The bonding bill in particular came together so late House Democrats had to gather in a hallway to get a look at it. Tension was high and tempers were short at the end. (Star Tribune)
3. This story contains an interesting note. Because the House and Senate were meeting in different buildings on the final night of the session for the first time in state history (someone correct me if I'm wrong), even the logistics of getting bills from one chamber to the other took longer than usual. And the process for the first time involved ducking light rail trains. (Pioneer Press)
4. Minnesota Republicans ended their state convention fairly united behind Donald Trump for president. Some began the meetings in Duluth Friday skeptical of Trump, but many others worked to bring the delegates in line behind him. (MPR News)
5. Hillary Clinton says Trump is not a normal candidate. In a TV interview Sunday Clinton said she intends to demonstrate that Trump has no ideas beyond hollow rhetoric. While Clinton is ignoring Bernie Sanders, Sanders is still promising to fight all the way to the convention because he believes he would be a better general election candidate against Trump. (New York Times)
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