Under Two Months Remaining in Legislative Session

March 20, 2025

Two months after the start of the session, all 201 legislative seats are finally filled.  

On March 17, David Gottfried (DFL-Roseville) was sworn in after winning the special election for Minnesota House District 40B. His swearing-in results in an even partisan divide of 67 Republican and 67 DFL members.  

In accordance with a power-sharing agreement adopted in February, there is now an equal number of Republican and DFL legislators on House committees, and committees will have co-chairs, alternating between Democrats and Republicans. Rep. Lisa Demuth (R – Cold Springs) will remain as Speaker of the House for the remainder of the biennium.  

“This legislative session has been an atypical one, especially because it is now mid-March and we now have everyone here,” said Chad Fahning, MMA’s manager of state legislative affairs. “We’ve had a lot of hearings, but only now does it seem like we’re getting started.” 

The Legislature has just over two months before its required adjournment date of May 19. The first legislative deadline has been set for April 4. By then, bills must be heard in a committee to remain on track for passage. Major appropriation and finance bills must be passed out of committee by April 11.  

The final negotiation of budget bills will likely not include items that add significant cost to the state’s general fund following an updated budget forecast, which continued to show a projected budget surplus for the current two-year period. Not only has the size of the surplus dropped from $616 million to $456 million, but the long-term projected deficit is now nearly $6 billion for fiscal years 2028 and 2029.