Minnesota Report
As we have learned, yesterday at 1:40 am Senate Republicans ascended to the political reality, if they want to have any of their projects funded this legislative session, they had to play ball and vote for a Bonding Bill. This borrowed money component reduces the need for a substantial Cash Bill, which contained only DFL projects. The two bills in question are (HF 669 and HF 670). Republicans can argue they “forced” the DFL to put more money into nursing homes, but this is not something they didn’t want to do.
As former members of the Majority, Republican Senators seem to suffer from the same “itis” DFLers experience once they fall out of power. We call it a “Power Hangover.” This is when they remember what it was like to hold a gavel or have the votes to advance their respective position, and when it is in the case of Republicans the Anti-government Party, it usually means stopping legislation, but in the case of the Pro-government Party the DFL, it means trying to make bad legislation better.
The reality check here is this, legislation is rarely passed by the party out of power.
The realization at the nth hour is not surprising, and virtually expected, just like a good poker face when bluffing is essential. At the end of the day, the DFL called their bluff otherwise they were moving ahead without any Republican support, and the DFL Trifecta again prevails.