Minnesota Legislature

A man impersonating a police officer shot Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband in their Brooklyn Park home. Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot multiple times.

Although education spending will increase, school districts will notice cuts to state aid for special education, school libraries and student supports like counselors and nurses.

Plus: the Northland has nine more state champs in golf, track and field after state tournaments.

The former Minnesota state senator is one of two people being charged at the federal level, which carries a tougher maximum sentence compared to the state level.

The budget bills take a step towards resolving the deficit projected to begin in the 2028-29 budget years, but don’t avert it entirely.

Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders have agreed to a one-day special session in which they need to pass 14 mostly budget-related bills.

This comes after weeks of behind-closed-doors meetings between Walz, House Speaker Lisa Demuth, House DFL caucus leader Melissa Hortman and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy.

Plus: Summer EBT is now SUN Bucks and eligible families enrolled in certain programs will automatically be mailed new cards per school-age child; and nine Northland golf teams will compete at the state golf tournament next week.

Bonding bills require a 60% supermajority in both the House and Senate to pass, meaning it needs robust bipartisan support. Partisan tensions appear to have won out this year.

In a session marked by partisan gridlock, state lawmakers approved bills to include the giant beaver as Minnesota's official fossil and Ursa Minor as the state's constellation.