The final day of the session came and went yesterday, with Minnesota lawmakers passing only 7 of the 16 budget bills.

A special session is almost certain now in order to try and pass the bills that remain.

If held, a special session would be scheduled by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in coordination with the legislature.

If the budget isn’t complete by June 30th the state government will be shut down for the first time since 2011.

“I would caution again for the legislature the first weeks of June. Once we get past June 1st, we’ll be obligated then to start looking at what does it look like if you shutdown,” said Gov Tim Walz. “That means we send out the layoff notices and things like that. That is not without a cost.”

Over the past week, lawmakers passed numerous bills in an attempt to catch up to the impending deadline.

Both sides felt frustrated as the night came to a close.

“I’m concerned that Republicans are driving us to a special session,” said Senator Erin Murphy (DFL – Majority Leader). “I’m concerned about their commitment to finishing this work for the people of Minnesota.”

“I think what you’re seeing right now is Democrats frustration after two years and 18 billion dollars of surplus being spent they’re finally having to realize that there are constraints on Minnesota taxpayers,” Said Senator Mark Johnson (R – Minority Leader). “We are not an infinite state of money and ability to pay for whatever projects they want to have.”

Following the conclusion of the regular session, Speaker Emerita Hortman touched on the importance of bipartisanship in the face of divided viewpoints.

“Despite our different visions and values, we managed to reach a bipartisan budget deal in which both sides compromised and did not get everything they wanted,” said Hortman. “If we were in charge, the budget deal would look a lot different, and it would do a lot more to lower the cost of living for hardworking Minnesotans. However, in times of divided government, people expect their elected leaders to work together, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

Looking towards what’s next, Hortman said, “I remain optimistic that the Legislature and Governor Walz can conclude our work in a timely manner during a short special session in the coming days, but that will only happen if we leave ideological battles to the side and focus on enacting a two-year state budget.”