With time running short, Democrats in the Minnesota Legislature transformed a standalone tax bill into a roughly 1,400-page omnibus package containing nearly every other bill they still needed to pass, touching on everything from health care and transportation policy to gun safety measures. Democrats suspended debate and passed the mashed-together bill in the final voting hour of the Legislature's 2024 session.
Republicans protested the move, calling it a "horrible way to govern" and saying they weren't able to review the mammoth bill before it passed. They've since called for Gov. Tim Walz to veto it, which is unlikely to happen.
The Star Tribune has spent the past couple of days going through the bill. Here are some notable highlights from the bill that will become law pending Walz's signature.
NEW STATE PATROL HEADQUARTERS
Lawmakers did not pass a bonding bill to fund state infrastructure projects before their midnight deadline passed. But Democrats included a $22.5 million appropriation in the omnibus bill to pay for a new headquarters for the Minnesota State Patrol.
The one-time money will come out of the trunk highway fund and is available through June 2028.
"I said this was a priority of mine. That headquarters is out of date and the State Patrol has been asked to do an awful lot," Walz said.
HEALTH PLANS MUST COVER ABORTION
Health plans operating in Minnesota must provide coverage for abortions and related services starting Jan. 1, 2025.
The bill states that health plans must not impose co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles for abortion services that are higher than the cost-sharing they apply to similar services. And a health plan cannot impose any special limitations on the coverage, such as prior authorization or referral requirements.
Minnesota will reimburse health plans for the coverage if they weren't providing it before this new requirement was enacted.
Legislators also included a provision requiring health plans to cover wigs for people who suffer cancer-related hair loss. The coverage would be limited to $1,000 per benefit year. The proposal was sponsored by DFL Sen. Kari Dziedzic, who's been undergoing treatment for cancer.
STRAW PURCHASES AND BINARY TRIGGERS
Lawmakers increased the penalty for straw purchases, which occur when a person buys a gun on behalf of someone who is prohibited from purchasing one, from a gross misdemeanor to a felony.
Starting Aug. 1, a person found guilty of making a straw purchase may be sentenced to up to two years in prison and fined up to $10,000.
That penalty escalates to up to five years in prison and a $20,000 fine if the person who receives the gun uses it to commit a crime of violence within the subsequent year.
The omnibus bill also includes a provision banning binary triggers on firearms. The device allows one shot to be fired with the pull of a trigger and a second shot upon the trigger release. That ban is set to take effect Jan. 1.
TRAFFIC LIGHT CAMERAS
Traffic cameras will be coming to the cities of Minneapolis and Mendota Heights under a four-year pilot program included in the omnibus bill. The program also calls for the Department of Transportation to install traffic cameras in highway work zones.
Two types of cameras will be permitted during the pilot program: red-light cameras and speed safety cameras. Drivers who are photographed running a red light or speeding will receive a warning on first offense and a ticket the second time, though they could avoid the fine by taking a traffic safety course.
The pilot program allows for camera-based traffic enforcement in the designated areas from Aug. 1, 2025 through July 31, 2029.
MOTORCYCLISTS CAN PASS WITHIN LANES
Starting July 1, 2025, motorcyclists will be allowed to pass vehicles within the same traffic lane as long as they are driving no faster than 25 miles per hour, according to a provision in the bill. And they must not exceed 15 miles per hour over the speed of other traffic as they pass.
Minnesota's public safety commissioner must implement a statewide education campaign to tell drivers about the new rules allowing motorcycles to pass within the same lane or between parallel lanes.
Star Tribune staff writer Briana Bierschbach contributed to this story.
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