Minnesota Legislature convenes tomorrow

Capitol leftovers: Not much … just $600M in roads, $300M in tax cuts and $1 billion in water, sewer, classrooms etc.

When Minnesota’s new Legislature convenes Jan. 3, near the top of its agenda is cleaning up the leftovers from the old Legislature.

Stymied by divisions between the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the DFL-controlled Senate, the 2015-16 Minnesota Legislature failed to pass either long-term transportation funding or a short-term infrastructure package despite both being widely popular. They did manage to pass a package of tax cuts — but a wording error led Gov. Mark Dayton to veto the whole measure and lawmakers never passed a fixed version.

Next year might see all these issues resolved — or the same stalemate continue between the two profoundly polarized political parties. Voters on Nov. 8 gave Republicans control of both the House and the Senate, but they’ll still need Dayton’s signature for bills to become law.

Here’s a look at the big unfinished business left over from last year — and whether Minnesota lawmakers will manage to finish each of them this year.

Read more: http://www.twincities.com/2016/12/28/lawmakers-left-a-lot-undone-in-2016-will-they-finish-it-in-2017/