Legislative Deadlines/Legislative Break
Friday, March 27, 2026 marked the first two of three annual committee deadlines for the Minnesota Legislature. When combined, these deadlines establish the date by which all policy proposals needed to be heard and passed out of all policy committees with jurisdiction in both chambers in order to continue advancing this session. Finance proposals have until April 17th and other major bills, including capital investment and tax proposals, are not subject to the deadlines. Because the first two committee deadlines were combined, numerous committees held extended hearings this week to process proposals. Most notably, the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee has held multiple marathon hearings over the last two weeks and heard dozens of pieces of legislation.
With the deadlines behind them, the legislature heads into a week-long recess for the Easter and Passover holidays. When they return on April 7th, they will have five weeks to complete their work. With nature of the makeup of the legislature, significant compromise will be necessary to get any controversial or high-profile issues passed.
Port Hemp Bill Passes Senate
On March 23, the Minnesota Senate passed H.F. 3615 on a bipartisan vote of 41-26. Sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville), the proposal moves a 2026 deadline for in-state testing requirement to May 31, 2027, allowing low-dose hemp consumable businesses to continue using qualified out-of-state testing facilities. Proponents presented the bill as a solution to looming testing backlogs and market disruption. The legislation had previously passed the House of Representatives on March 16, 2026, and was subsequently signed by Gov. Tim Walz on March 25, 2026.
Gun Bills Fail in House Committees
One of the most high-profile issues at the legislature this session relates to gun violence as multiple proposals to increase the state’s gun control laws were heard in the days leading up to committee deadline. This week two committees in the House of Representatives took up but failed to pass proposals related to gun violence.
AG Lawsuit Filed Against Feds
On March 24, 2026, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced a lawsuit against the federal government in response to “Operation Metro Surge.” The lawsuit seeks to force the federal government to provide access to evidence in three cases of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offer-involved shootings, including the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis. Ellison and Moriarty are seeking a court order requiring federal agencies to turn over evidence so the state can conduct its own independent investigations
Important Dates
Deadlines are as follows:
The Easter/Passover break begins on March 27 at 5 p.m. The Legislature will resume activities on Tuesday, April 7 at 8 am. The legislature must adjourn no later than midnight on May 18, 2026.
The House and Senate are both out for the next two weeks. Their absence is notable given the Department of Homeland Security remains shut down.
This 44-day DHS funding impasse has become a political problem for Republicans. Earlier, Republicans were gaining traction with their argument that Democrats initiated the fight over undocumented immigrants. That dynamic has shifted. House and Senate Republicans are now publicly divided over responsibility for last week’s breakdown. Congress has adjourned until mid-April, while President Donald Trump issued an executive order to ensure TSA employees are paid. Congress is scheduled to return April 13, at which point the DHS shutdown will be approaching two months.
On Friday, Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans passed a two month DHS funding measure on a 213 to 203 vote. This followed the Senate’s unanimous passage of its own bill, which excluded ICE and CBP.
On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Republican senators he is working with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to identify a path forward that Democrats could support. However, Senate Democrats have already rejected multiple continuing resolutions, including the House passed measure.
A spokesperson for Schumer reiterated that Democrats will not accept anything short of the bill that passed unanimously in the Senate and stated that Republicans should resolve their internal disagreements.
The Senate will hold a pro forma session this morning, the first of four during the recess. This schedule was locked in by unanimous consent after passage of the Senate bill, making changes difficult.
A Republican senator could attempt to pass the House bill during the session, although a Democratic objection is likely.
Senate Republican leadership continues to defend its approach, noting that the administration has indicated their bill provides sufficient resources and flexibility to fund ICE and CBP operations.
Some conservatives are urging Trump to use his constitutional authority to compel lawmakers to return to Washington. The president has recently taken a more critical stance toward Congress, encouraging action on the filibuster and expressing opposition to the Senate bill.
The competing votes on Friday represent one of the most significant internal divisions among Republicans in this Congress.
One view is that Speaker Johnson erred by not advancing the Senate bill, which may have passed with broad bipartisan support. That approach could have allowed Republicans to shift focus to reconciliation and FISA reauthorization.
Another view is that Johnson was constrained by internal conference dynamics. He has consistently maintained that DHS must be fully funded, and the House Republican Conference remains heavily influenced by hardline conservatives. Without pushback from more moderate members, leadership often aligns with the Freedom Caucus and its allies.
Johnson’s position as speaker depends on maintaining support within his conference, which likely influenced his decision to reject the Senate approach.
This episode highlights the challenges facing a Republican led Congress when the president is not actively directing strategy. Trump did not publicly weigh in on the Senate proposal, though staff indicated support. Once it became clear the House would reject it, he aligned with House Republicans.
Democrats initiated the shutdown in response to concerns over ICE and CBP enforcement actions in Minnesota. However, the current phase of the impasse is being driven by divisions within the House Republican Conference, and those divisions are expected to define the next two weeks.
Absent a negotiated agreement before members return, the political pressure will intensify on both chambers to resolve the funding gap quickly, particularly as operational strains at DHS continue to mount and the impasse approaches the two-month mark.
