All legislation that is to be a part of the special session must be reintroduced and be given a special session file number. Usually the omnibus funding bills will be reintroduced in the same form that they passed off the House and Senate floors and they will begin from that point. However, there is precedence for the conference committees to meet in unofficial "working groups" prior to a special session being called by the Governor, and the bills introduced are the final product of the working group. There is always the possibility that provisions that are included in an omnibus bill during regular session are not included in the final special session bill.

In the last week of the regular session there are often a lot of rumors and news about the end of session. Things remain very fluid until the deadline.

Point of Interest

It seems public school funding is more controversial than any other issue.

The longest special session was held in 1971, the year of the "Minnesota Miracle." It lasted 159 calendar days.

In 2005, state government operations shut down for the first time ever until lawmakers and Governor Pawlenty could agree on a final budget. That budget included a purported 4%/4% public school funding increase for 2006-07, but that increase relied on $139 million in additional local property taxes.

In 2006, voters demonstrated their belief that education funding is the state's responsibility by voting down the local levies included in the 2005 budget.