Walz: No need for another special session despite federal Medicaid cuts

This June when the Minnesota Legislature met in special session to eventually pass state budget bills DFL leaders warned that their work for the year was not through They would need to meet again for another special session if Congress and President Trump collaborated on a massive bill to slash social services I m worried that Congress will act in July and make deep cuts to Medicaid in particular Sen Majority Leader Erin Murphy DFL-St Paul stated in the waning moments of the special session If the cuts are as deep as they are talking about we will have to come back to balance the budget Related Minnesota lawmakers grit teeth pass state budget in crammed special session Fast forward to now and Congress and the president have indeed passed a massive initiative bill the One Big Beautiful Bill Act which specifies an array of social operation cuts But Gov Tim Walz announced in an interview there will ostensibly not be a special session At this point in time there s no immediate need to do it Walz noted last week in his office in an interview with MinnPost But should we need to do it we re prepared Walz has the sole authority to call a special session Required about the possibility of a special session in the past week DFLers including Murphy have deferred to the governor Statehouse Republicans who never saw the need for a second special session to begin with have praised the One Big Beautiful Bill Related DFL loathes One Big Beautiful Bill But what do Minnesota legislative Republicans think As to why there will be no special session Walz used the question as an opportunity to tout the state budget s prudent long-term planning We have the highest rainy day funds we ve ever had We have surpluses for the next two bienniums Walz stated And because of the work of the Legislature and because of our year-end revenue numbers our structural imbalance out into and is virtually eliminated There are other accomplishable reasons why a session will not be called For one the cuts in Medicaid eligibility that Murphy and the late Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman consistently warned about this spring will not be implemented until These spending cuts concern childless able-bodied adults aged - needing to continually analysis that they are working doing locality provision in an learning campaign or looking for work Walz noted that he is working with the Minnesota Department of Human Services as well as the state s counties which directly administer Medicaid eligibility on setting up a work verification system But this logistics work however time consuming is not expected to require legislative action until February when lawmakers are next set to intervene Murphy has announced she will hold information hearings on the Trump tax and spending bill before Legislative committee chairs can hold hearings out of session so long as they do not take action on a piece of state law Another complication at least for DFLers is that Republicans control the House and the Senate is about to be tied The last time the Legislature met there was a tied House and a DFL-led Senate Republicans have a House majority because of Hortman s death Walz has set a Sept special referendum date for Hortman s Brooklyn Park seat and a scarce candidates have thrown their hats in the ring As for the Senate Nicole Mitchell DFL-Woodbury is now a convicted felon on first-degree burglary charges Her lawyer indicated Monday that she will resign within weeks Also on Monday the Senate Republican caucus broadcasted that Sen Bruce Anderson R-Buffalo died unexpectedly Monday Bruce was a dedicated inhabitants servant loving family man and dear friend to a multitude of at the Capitol and in Buffalo Sen Minority Leader Mark Johnson R-Grand Forks commented in a announcement We offer our condolences and prayers for comfort for the entire Anderson family Walz is tasked with calling special elections for both of these Senate seats The post Walz No need for another special session despite federal Medicaid cuts appeared first on MinnPost