Minnesota legislative leaders are working to avoid anymore layoff notices with no budget deal yet.
Minnesota DFL legislative leaders, House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (Brooklyn Park) and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (St. Paul) told reporters Wednesday afternoon that a special session is likely coming on Saturday.
Hortman says lawmakers are still negotiating over key issues like health care and transportation.
"Traditionally, we haven't negotiated a special session until all those bills have been posted online in final form," says Hortman.
Both leaders are emphasizing that a special session won't happen until all bill details are made public.
House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R- Cold Spring) says lawmakers are playing nice for now. Demuth says things are "friendly" among lawmakers as they continue talks with the governor. She says the timing on special session is unclear.
"I have said that I thought today, Wednesda,y was maybe gonna be a special session," says Demuth. "No date has been set, but I'm very optimistic that it could happen at any point in time when the governor's ready to call that. Every day has been a possibility. Not today anymore because we're out of time, but at any point in time when the governor does call that."
One hang-up is a small bill with a few tax changes as House Republicans are saying "no way" to tax increases on things like cannabis sales and electricity for data centers.
Mmeanwhile, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (DFL) is calling this week a “critical and fragile time" for the legislature.
Lawmakers are scrambling to agree on a $66 billion state budget. If they don't get it done by July 1, parts of the government could shut down, and more state employees will be getting layoff notices. Some already have received those notices.
Despite this, Walz thinks they are on the cusp of a quick, one-day special session, and he agrees with Democratic leaders that it may happen by Saturday.
"So it means once we come out of this room and we come out together, we got a day to do it," Walz said. "So I would tell you it's my desire that this thing be buttoned up so I don't have to send out those notices."
While Walz is pushing for a quick weekend wrap, health care for undocumented adults continues to be a sticking point for some lawmakers that will require more bipartisan agreement - something that they're still working through.