Our apologies for sending The Agenda out a little later than normal this week. Our coverage of all the doings at the Minnesota Capitol over the weekend forced a slight delay of this edition.
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Minnesota Legislature
We’ve already given a fulsome account of what happened with the public/safety judiciary bill over the weekend. We won’t recap all that here.
Instead, we’ll give a quick rundown of what’s been accomplished and what is left to be done at the Capitol to avoid even a limited government shutdown as the special session enters its third and most critical week.
There are 13 appropriations bills total for funding state agencies and other government expenses, like Legacy funding. At least tentative agreements are now in place on all of them.
Additionally, the House passed a “bonding corrections” bill, which would jumpstart some bonding projects passed in last year’s bill, by making some needed technical modifications and extensions. The Senate hasn’t yet taken that up.
Here is the status of the budget bills (with a hat tip to Senate GOP press secretary Rachel Aplikowski, who provided the information).
The governor has signed five budget bills into law: Ag/broadband; commerce/energy; higher education; transportation and Legacy funding.
Two more bills are on their way to the governor’s desk for signature after clearing both houses: Health and human services and the environment omnibus.
The full House still needs to hear three bills: state government operations (already passed by the Senate); taxes; public safety.
The Senate has yet to hear: E-12 (already passed by the House), housing (passed by House), taxes, public safety and the bonding corrections bill (passed by the House).
One bill—the jobs omnibus—has been sent to conference committee because the versions passed off the floors do not match. That could also happen to the state government finance bill, if the House does not accept a provision amended into the Senate bill during floor debate. It would immediately end the governor’s emergency powers. Walz says he plans to keep his powers intact until August.
Legislative calendar
Here is the week’s legislative schedule as of the time of this writing. Nothing is officially scheduled after today, but with so much to do other hearings are certain to be added. Monitor this legislative page for changes to the calendar.
Senate Finance committee, Monday, June 28, at the call of the chair. An agenda and time for the meeting were not yet announced at the time of publication, but it is likely the public safety bill will get heard. The hybrid event will be live-streamed and held in person, in the Capitol’s Room 123.
Minnesota House, floor session, Monday, June 28, 10 a.m. No bills are on the calendar for the day at the time of this writing. The House DFL press office says the full House likely will not reconvene after a brief “paper push” in the morning.
Minnesota Senate, floor session, Monday June 28, 10 a.m. The Senate is expected to gavel in and out early in the day, then recess for caucus meetings. The chamber could reconvene later today and take up additional bills.
House Rules and Legislative Administration, Monday, June 28, 10:15 a.m. (or five minutes after the House floor session). The committee will establish the House floor’s calendar for the day for Wednesday.
Minnesota House, floor session, Tuesday, June 29, time to be determined. This session is not yet officially posted to the schedule. However, its calendar for the day page indicates that the House will take up the public safety omnibus on Tuesday.
Minnesota Judiciary
Supreme Court
The state’s highest court has no arguments scheduled for the rest of this month. If it issues any rulings this week, they’ll come out Wednesday, at 10 a.m.
Court of Appeals
The state Court of Appeals has no oral arguments scheduled this week. New opinions will come out at 10 a.m. today.
Minnesota State Bar Association
Tuesday, June 29
12 p.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Info Session: MSBA's Association Health Plan
The Minnesota State Bar Association, in collaboration with Mercer and Medica, offers an Association Health Plan (AHP). This 30-minute session will highlight what an Association Health Plan is, what it offers and how to enroll in one. Presenters include facilitators include Marie Anderson, principal of Mercer’s Employer/Health & Benefits office; Mark Springer, Medica’s senior strategic account sales executive; John Collentine, Mercer’s senior associate and MSBA’s relationship manager; and Mike Carlson, MSBA’s practice management advisor. This free event offers no CLE credits. Register here.
Wednesday, June 30
1:30 p.m.- 3 p.m.
Policing Indian Country—Recent Developments
This event, which is worth 1.5 elimination of bias CLE credits, is co-sponsored by the MSBA’s Appellate Practice Section and the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association. A panel will discuss how recent Minnesota legislation, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v. Cooley, and other developments may produce better outcomes for Minnesota tribes and their members. Panelists will also offer additional suggestions for tribal, state and federal reform. They include Dan Lewerenz, staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund; Tadd M. Johnson, the University of Minnesota system’s senior director of American Indian Tribal Nations Relations; and Jessie Stomski Seim, general counsel for the Prairie Island Indian Community. Mitchell Hamline School of Law Professor Colette Routel will moderate. Register here.
News and notes
New MSBA president

During last week’s MSBA annual conference, the MSBA formally passed the baton from its outgoing President Dyan Ebert to its incoming President Jennifer Thompson.
Thompson, who will serve a one-year term, is an attorney and partner at Minneapolis’ Thompson Tarasek Lee-O'Halloran, P.L.L.C., and a past chair of MSBA’s Construction Law Section. Her legal practice involves advising and counseling clients on government contracting, transactional matters and litigation. She also represents non-profit associations in litigation and corporate/business matters.
Ebert is shareholder and former CEO at St. Cloud’s Quinlivan & Hughes, a firm she joined in 1994. She has served as MSBA president since July 2020.
During her State of the Judiciary speech, Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea complimented Ebert on her year as MSBA president. “Dyan has provided a steady hand and strong leadership for the state bar during a year full of challenges,” Gildea said. “And we are forever grateful for her service.”
The chief justice also took note of Thompson’s ascension to the presidency. “Jennifer has held many leadership positions in our state's legal community,” Gildea said. “I know that she'll be an excellent partner for our courts while serving as the bars’s next president.”
Knuth retires
Sherri Knuth, a longtime attorney and policy advocate who has been the MSBA’s Access to Justice Director since 2017, retired last week.
In her most recent MSBA job, she developed and helped implement statewide policies to provide legal assistance to Minnesota's low-income clients. She also helped generate resources for programs that serve that clientele.
Before that, she worked for six years as MSBA’s government relations and membership engagement director. She also worked as policy and outreach manager for the League of Woman Voters for four years.
“Working in the legislative and access to justice arenas at the MSBA has been meaningful,” Knuth told Session/Law last week. “The past 15 months have tested the legal profession and the bar association. Its members and the access-to-justice community have responded nimbly, engaging in creative, forward-looking activities to benefit lawyers and those we serve.”
Knuth says she plans to do pro bono legal work in the future. She also said her retirement will give her more time for outdoor activities.
Seabrooks named 10th District judge
Jesse Seabrooks, an assistant Washington County attorney, has been named new judge for Minnesota’s 10th Judicial District. He will chamber in Chisago County’s Center City.
Gov. Tim Walz’s office announced the appointment on July 25. Seabrooks replaces Kathleen A. Mottl, who retired in March after serving on the bench since 2005.
“I am excited to appoint Jesse Seabrooks to the 10th Judicial District,” Walz said in a press release. “Mr. Seabrooks has a broad range of legal experience—including as a Brigade Judge Advocate in the Army National Guard. I am confident that his strong desire to serve and deep commitment to the people of the 10th Judicial District will make him an excellent judge.”
Prior to working with Washington County Attorney’s Office, Seabrooks was an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, in Columbus, Ohio.
His community involvement includes volunteering with Ujamaa Place’s Men’s Group, Washington County’s food drive, high school mock trials and the Veteran’s Appreciation Program.
Seabrooks earned his bachelor of arts degree from Ohio University and J.D. from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio.
Minnesota’s 10th Judicial District encompasses Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties.
Got tips on any lawyerly or legislative news or events that you’d like to see posted here? Contact us at kevin@featherly.com.