A new state law is waiting for Governor Dayton's approval which will require farmers to install a 50-foot buffer between their crops and public lakes, streams and ditches. A conservation buffer is an area of permanent vegetation that helps control pollutants and manage other environmental concerns before they hit the water.
The rush to Monday's budget-setting deadline has a price. A budget bill for jobs and energy programs left out funding for state employees who review health insurance rates. Those staff members have been paid with federal funds that expire in September, leaving the state with the tab.
More pieces of Minnesota's next budget are falling into place. They affect poultry farmers battling the bird flu, college students seeking a financial lift, the upkeep of public parks and much more.
Students at Minnesota's public colleges may have to brace for a tuition bump. Tuition freezes at the state's two postsecondary systems got bipartisan support the last time lawmakers set a budget. But legislators' appetites seem to have waned a bit this year.
Minnesota legislative Republicans are moving to strip powers from Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton, ranging from limiting his team's authority to write regulatory rules to curbs on staffing.