Minnesota Legislature faces tough budget talks in week ahead

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As the Minnesota Legislature enters the last full week of its 2021 session, lawmakers face tough negotiations for a balanced budget by next Monday’s mandatory adjournment date.

And given the Legislature’s partisan split, the final package is expected to make only incremental changes instead of sweeping overhauls. There are deep disagreements over what should be in the major spending bills of the session, which will form the core of the next two-year budget.

If the divided Legislature can’t pass them all by next Monday, they’ll have to go into a special session to finish.