Minnesota legislative session ends with major bills passing, and more headlines

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]The 2026 Minnesota legislative session is now over, finished just on time, barely making that midnight deadline.

[00:00:07]>> All major bills passed, including a bailout for Hennepin County Medical Center, HCMC, license tab reductions, a bonding bill, and property tax relief.

[00:00:16]Esme Murphy breaks down all that went through and what didn't.

[00:00:20]The biggest bills came up in the final hours and passed just before the midnight deadline. These big bills had all been negotiated beforehand between House and Senate DFL and Republican leaders and Governor Tim Walz. So, you'd think that the votes and the discussions would be quick and easy. They weren't.

[00:00:40]Republicans say their biggest achievement is battling fraud.

[00:00:43]>> Our top priority, because of the level of fraud here in the state of Minnesota, was to pass that Office of Inspector General bill. That was our House File 1.

[00:00:53]That was something that we came into 2025 wanting to do.

[00:00:58]>> For Democrats, the top priority, a hospital rescue package, not only for Hennepin County Medical Center, but for other distressed hospitals, too. We did great work for the people of Minnesota.

[00:01:10]We saved HCMC, delivering $705 million to ensure that that hospital is there.

[00:01:15]The negotiated bills that all ended up passing included $205 million from state reserves for Hennepin County Medical Center, creating a $500 million reserve fund that can be used by other hospitals in crisis, rolling back license tab fees to 2022 levels, a $1.2 billion infrastructure and bonding bill, and a $125 million property tax refund bill that will go to some 600,000 homeowners who qualify for the homestead tax credit. Republicans also took credit for working on affordability. Minnesota Senate Republicans worked very, very hard at the very all through session on affordability issues, but we were able to finally get the tab fees reduced by $254 million.

[00:02:02]That's $254 million that's going to be staying in Minnesotans' pockets. One bill that did not make it to the house floor was the gun control measure that had been passed by the Minnesota Senate.

[00:02:13]Uh gun control advocates and Aniya parents had been lobbying hard. There were protests here to make sure that it would get on the house floor. In the end, it didn't. The entire house and Senate are up for re-election in November, and both sides say voters will be able to weigh in then. With photojournalist Nick Boky, Asma Murphy, WCCO News, the capital.

[00:02:36]DFL Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy did not hold an overnight news conference. She'll be holding her news conference at 10:30 this morning. We'll be there, of course, and continue to follow these developments.

[00:02:47]This week marks a somber milestone for a young life that was lost too soon. Aniya Allen was just 6 years old when she was shot and killed 5 years ago this week.

[00:02:58]But the person out there is still the person responsible, I should say, is still out there.

[00:03:02]>> And her loved ones are not giving up hope. They're using their hurt to try to create change. And our Berlyne joining us live this morning from downtown in the Minneapolis Police Precinct as this case still, that 5 years later, Berlyne remains open.

[00:03:18]Yeah, still no answers in this case. 5 years later, it remains open. And so does the wound that her family deals with in Aniya's absence. Now, later today, a group is going to gather to remember her life and celebrate her angelversary.

[00:03:34]Aniya Allen was shot and killed by a stray bullet near 36th and Penn Avenue in North Minneapolis in May of 2021. The shooter has not been found, but earlier this year, a man connected to the gun used in the shooting was sentenced on federal straw purchasing charges. Year after year, loved ones leave stuffed animals and balloons near her picture and call for someone to come forward.

[00:03:59]I cannot believe that human beings can hold in a secret of somebody who shoots or killed an an innocent child.

[00:04:12]So much grief and so much anger still, but I decided to instead of just sit with it, channel it into something positive and productive.

[00:04:27]And right now, there is a $180,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest and conviction in Aniya's case.

[00:04:35]And that angel versary I mentioned, it's happening at 4:30 today at Lakewood Cemetery. Everyone is invited to attend.

[00:04:43]Now, Aniya's grandfather, a well-known long-time peace activist, he stopped that community work shortly after her death. In the next half hour though, we'll tell you why he's stepping back into that role and speaking out against violence. Right. And Aniya, remember just one of three young children shot that summer there. Trinity Ottoson-Smith was nine, Ladavion Garrett 10. Young kids. Very young. All right, Barrett, thank you.

[00:05:11]Let's take you over to the live desk now. Let's Maria Lissignoli is following those fires up north, those wildfires there, Maria. I mean, wildfires are tearing across parts of the Northland right now, and Governor Tim Walz has called in the National Guard to help. As of the last update on the Flanders fire in Crow Wing County, it's burned 1,600 acres and is only 20% contained.

[00:05:33]Meanwhile, in Lake County, the Stuart Trail fire is still burning just 3 miles north of Two Harbors. That fire has charred 355 acres and is 62% contained.

[00:05:45]Residents who haven't evacuated those areas are encouraged to stay on standby.

[00:05:49]This is what those in the area witnessed on Saturday. Smoke and flames consuming the sky as it's along Highway 11 in the Brainerd Lakes area. As a plane comes by dropping water from above, you can see that there. Tim Engrav with the Minnesota incident command system says the fire quickly spread hundreds of acres. Fire crews from across the state came to assist battling the fire on the ground and in the air. Even some 12-year-olds stepped in to help.

[00:06:18]So, me and my mom drove down and talked to the cross lake sheriffs and they said that they want us to evacuate people. I was knocking on the door saying, "Hey, there's a fire coming your way. We got to evacuate. Pack up any things."

[00:06:32]Officials with Minnesota incident command say no primary structures or homes have been lost to the Flanders fire and crews are working hard to protect other homes. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the Stuart Trail fire in Two Harbors. We'll talk more about that in our next half hour.

[00:06:48]We also know Governor Walz is expected to make a visit up there later today.

[00:06:51]>> Yeah, we know some people have lost their homes there in that one. All right, Maria, we'll check back in with you in just a bit. Someone shot at a plane as crews were fighting the fires in St. Louis County. Look at this.

[00:07:02]That's a bullet hole in this photo from the St. Louis County Sheriff's office in that plane. Officials say that shooting happened Friday as the plane was helping with the fire north of Orr, Minnesota.

[00:07:11]The pilot not injured didn't even know it had happened until they landed.

[00:07:15]Officials are now looking for any information. And these fires have blazed a path through homes and communities.

[00:07:22]Kelly Hoff, she's general manager of the Rustic Inn Cafe in Two Harbors and she says two of their employees lost their home in that wildfire, but they're not on their own. Neighbors have been showing up to help them and others who have been displaced. The hotel's collecting donations. They're offering free meals to emergency response crews and to the people who lost their homes.

[00:07:44]A woman who happened to be vacationing here came in this morning before we even opened and gave me a hug and said, "I heard about it, heard about the situation." And she handed me a handful of cash, which was just amazing. There are such good-hearted people out there.

[00:08:01]There are. Do North Pizzeria in Two Harbors, they are also offering free meals to people who have been impacted by the fire.