The Minnesota Legislature gavels in for the 2024 session on Monday, Feb. 12. Here's a look at some of the hottest issues under the dome this year:
๐ฎ SROs: A new law governing the use of restraints by school resource officers will likely get clarified, after concerns about the language prompted some law agencies to pause the partnerships.
House Speaker Melissa Hortman told Axios she thinks it will get done, but end up on the 2026 ballot.
๐ Legal sports betting:It'sin the cards but will likely require bipartisan support. The political crux remains striking a deal that the Native American tribes and the horse race tracks can live with.
Hortman puts the odds of passage at 50/50.
โ๏ธ Medical aid in dying: A bill that would allow health care providers to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients already got its first hearing.
Yes, but: The legislation will likely require bipartisan support due to opposition from several DFLers. Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said it might take more than this session.
A key Senate chair has said he's not sure safe storage will have the votes this year.
๐ Rideshare driver pay: A group of Lyft and Uber drivers are pushing for pay minimums and other protections after Gov. Tim Walz vetoed a similar bill last year. Legislative action could depend on what Minneapolis does (or doesn't do).
๐ณ๏ธ State flag: Several Republicans have vowed to introduce legislation aimed at pulling down the new state flag by putting it up for a public vote Hortman, who already has the new design on her office door, said she's not interested in that.
โ๏ธ Immigration: A newly introduced bill to make Minnesota a "sanctuary state" by prohibiting local and state governments from cooperating with federal immigration authorities on deportations fueled headlines and backlash from Republicans last week.
Hortman said she doesn't see it passing this year.
๐ฐ Medical debt: A proposal aimed at easing the burden and adding protections for patients facing big hospital bills has the backing of Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Its authors didn't say on Friday whether they have the votes in their respective caucuses to pass the legislation.