Last Bills Settled; Lawmakers Await Word On Special Session

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz and top legislative leaders have now reached agreement on all nine of their major budget bills, and lawmakers are now waiting on the governor to call a special session so they can finish their work for the year.

Aides say the last piece of the two-year budget fell into place early Thursday when the governor and leaders of the Senate Republican and House Democratic majorities agreed on a health and human services funding bill, which is one of the biggest parts of the budget.

The three leaders agreed Wednesday night on bills to finance state government and a jobs-and-energy budget bill. The state government bill includes authority for spending $6.6 million in federal election security funding and money to help prepare Minnesota for the 2020 census.