As Minnesota lawmakers convene in a special session today, they will discuss the end of the eviction moratorium.
Republican State Senator Rich Draheim spoke with WCCO Radio’s Susie Jones about the progress being made across the aisle and the work being done to agree on their bills and end Governor Tim Walz’s emergency powers.
“We’ve been meeting all weekend with all parties involved and going back and forth and trying to find the sweet spot to kind of compromise,” he said.
Lawmakers are looking to ensure they take careful measures while removing the eviction moratorium, keeping both the property owners’ and tenants’ best interests in mind.
“We started negotiating last summer trying to find some kind of off-ramp,” Draheim said. “I think it would have been really helpful if we could have gotten an agreement done a year ago so the housing providers and the tenants would know what to expect here as we end the emergency powers.”
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They were unable to agree on a plan last summer, and now as the end to the moratorium is in sight, what it means for property owners and tenants is up in the air.
The Minnesota State Senate has been working on the state’s budget and where they will spend the state's funds next year.
“We’re really close, we have the off-ramp bill included with our budget bill and the hundred-million in housing infrastructure bonds,” Draheim said. “You know we had different ideas on how to spend that money.
“We wanted a large percentage of the housing infrastructure bonds to go to our end goal, which is homeownership.”
The challenges facing the Senate are fewer than those facing the House, according to Draheim. He does not expect the Senate to be convened for much longer before getting what they need to do.
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“I feel pretty comfortable that we will be able to get most of our bills done [Monday],” Draheim said.
They would have been done sooner if not for someone having a personal emergency delaying them, but he thinks they will get there.
“I’ll be very relieved when it’s all said and done and the governor signs it,” he said.