Special Session Negotiations Continue
Last Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz met with legislative leaders as he contemplates calling the Minnesota legislature into a special legislative session to address gun violence. While only the governor can call a special legislative session, once in session, the legislature has full control over the agenda and the date of adjournment. As such, governors generally only call a special session when they have a pre-negotiated agreement with all four legislative caucuses.
Gov. Walz first announced his desire to call a special session in the days after the Annunciation Church shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota last month. Legislative Democrats have frequently called for a ban on assault style weapons and high-capacity magazines, while Republicans have called for more resources in mental health care and a look into the root causes of acts of violence. Legislative leaders will continue to meet to try to put together a proposal that will garner sufficient legislative support.
Nicole Mitchell Sentenced
After being convicted of felony burglary in late July, former state Sen. Nicole Mitchell was sentenced to six months in jail and will be allowed to serve her sentence in Ramsey County. Mitchell was granted work release and will be able to work during the day but will spend the rest of her time at the Ramsey County jail. Her sentence will begin in October.
Department of Justice Sues Minnesota Secretary of State
The United State Department of Justice filed a lawsuit last week against Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon over his refusal to turn over Minnesota’s voter registration list. In March, President Trump signed an executive order related to election administration, seeking state election data. The lawsuit state that in order to “prevent fraudulent votes from being cast in federal elections, federal law requires that all states conduct routine list maintenance of their statewide voter registration databases to maintain accurate voter rolls.” Secretary of State Simon has said he will not provide the voter data being requested.
Federal Shutdown Looming
Federal agencies will run out of money at midnight on Tuesday, and there is no resolution to the crisis in sight.
For the first time since taking office in January, President Donald Trump will meet with the Big Four congressional leaders at 3 p.m. today at the White House. It will also be the first time Trump has sat down with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has routinely called Trump a “conman.” Jeffries leads a caucus that has little patience for Trump or interest in helping him.
Republicans and Democrats remain far apart on a path forward. Republicans want a clean continuing resolution (CR) through November 21. Democrats are holding out for an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, restrictions on Trump’s ability to rescind spending, and reversal of Medicaid cuts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
During a virtual Senate Democratic Caucus meeting on Sunday, there was no noticeable shift in Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s strategy. The meeting was not contentious, suggesting Democrats are willing, at least for now, to let the government shut down to press their priorities.
The meeting. Today’s White House session is both a significant moment and, more likely than not, a stalemate. Trump canceled a previous bipartisan meeting after Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune lobbied him against it. Schumer then asked Thune to request a meeting with Trump, leading to today’s gathering. GOP leaders and the White House believe they hold the upper hand and want to force Schumer and Jeffries to back the GOP’s “clean” stopgap bill.
Thune said Sunday that “fundamentally, nothing has changed,” framing the choice for Democrats as accepting the House-passed CR or owning a shutdown. Yet Republicans need Democratic votes to reach 60 in the Senate, and Schumer is under pressure to hold firm. His only real option is to paint Republicans as unreasonable for refusing to negotiate.
The White House has pushed the message that Democrats want to spend hundreds of billions on health care for undocumented immigrants, a central GOP talking point as Democrats push to roll back Medicaid provisions in the OBBB. Democrats’ key demand — extending enhanced ACA subsidies — has limited Republican support. While some moderates are open to it, GOP leadership and committee chairs oppose the move, citing concerns about waste and fraud.
There is unease inside the Trump administration about the looming “health care cliff,” which could mean higher premiums for millions. Trump may eventually want a solution, but perhaps not tied to a short-term CR.
Trump’s bully pulpit is unmatched, and if he sticks to script, he can make a shutdown painful for Democrats. Trump and OMB Director Russ Vought have threatened mass layoffs of federal workers in a shutdown. Vought also decides which agencies are deemed essential, while hundreds of thousands of federal employees and military service members would go unpaid.
Republicans believe they are on solid ground, having passed a clean CR with broad GOP support. Johnson’s decision to keep the House out this week has drawn criticism, but GOP leaders argue there is no value in keeping lawmakers in Washington without floor action.
House Democrats return today with a caucus meeting this evening, seizing the public stage for the week. Republicans will reassess their schedule after their conference call this morning.
Larkin Hoffman Public Affairs is closely monitoring these negotiations and the potential impacts of a shutdown. We will continue to track developments at the White House and on Capitol Hill and will keep you apprised as the situation evolves this week.
