Politics Friday: The Legislature gears up for the big budget push. How will it go?

Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
After an unusual start, the 2025 legislative session has passed the halfway mark and the budget grind is quickly closing in.
The Senate is narrowly in DFL control by one seat and the House is at a 67-67 tie. How will leaders navigate the tightest party divide in recent history?
MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talks with Speaker of the Minnesota House Lisa Demuth and House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman in front of a studio audience at the UBS Forum in St. Paul.
Later in the program, two political analysts unpack developments at Minnesota’s Capitol and around the nation. How are recent events landing with voters?
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Plus, we’ll hear sounds from the state Capitol and recap the week with politics reporters Dana Ferguson and Clay Masters.
Guests:
House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring
House Leader Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park
Chas Anderson, a Republican, is the CEO and senior principal at Park Street Public.
Todd Rapp, a DFLer, is the CEO and President of Rapp Strategies Inc.
Subscribe to the Politics Friday podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
Dear reader,
Political debates with family or friends can get heated. But what if there was a way to handle them better?
You can learn how to have civil political conversations with our new e-book!
Download our free e-book, Talking Sense: Have Hard Political Conversations, Better, and learn how to talk without the tension.