Minnesota lawmakers scramble to pass major bills before end of legislative session

Lawmakers on Sunday scrambled get the final bills passed before the end of the legislative session at midnight.

The biggest bills came up for debate with just two hours to go. 

GOP and DFL leaders, along with the governor agreed on the big picture for some of these bills, but legislators were debating some sticking points in the effort to bail out Hennepin Healthcare. Some Republicans argued the bill doesn't do enough for rural hospitals.

The hospital rescue package bill provides $205 million from state reserves for Hennepin County Medical Center, which is facing financial turmoil. The bill also provides a $500 million reserve fund that can be used by other hospitals, including the rural hospitals that are in crisis.

In addition to the hospital, other bills in the negotiated agreement include license tab fee reduction, a $1.5 billion bonding bill and a $125 million property tax refund bill that will assist some 600,000 homeowners who qualify for the homestead tax credit.

A joint House and Senate committee went over the hundreds of projects that are included in the $1.2 billion infrastructure bill, which is usually the last bill voted on.

One bill that did pass was a $75 million upgrade for county computers. GOP Rep. Steven Jacob called it "about 20 years too late."

Some county computers were last updated in 1994, sparking concerns that the outdated technology has contributed to Minnesota's fraud crisis.

The midnight deadline is carved into the state statute, meaning there is no flexibility on timing. 

One issue that did not come up is the gun control bill that would have banned semiautomatic weapons and large scale magazines. Families of Annunciation victims lobbied for the bill to be passed, and lawmakers blamed GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth for stalling it.