ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota legislature saw a flurry of activity on Thursday, with 14 hours of floor time dedicated to debating dozens of policy bills. Among them, the Transportation Omnibus Policy Bill stood out for its bipartisan support, receiving a rare unanimous vote in the Senate. Republican Transportation Lead John Jasinski praised the bill’s bipartisan nature, noting that it included an even mix of Republican and Democrat provisions. Transportation Chair Scott Dibble emphasized the collaborative effort that went into crafting the bill, resulting in significant improvements.
However, the bill was not without its contentious moments. Senator Zach Duckworth introduced an amendment aimed at preventing local governments, like the Minneapolis City Council, from regulating transportation companies such as Uber and Lyft. Despite arguments for its relevance, the amendment was ruled out of scope for the transportation bill by the Senate president. With the bill now passed in the Senate, it will move to a conference committee to reconcile any differences with the House version before heading to the governor for approval.