Bills Reach 1st Cut Line In Minn. Legislature

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Deadline day has arrived in the Minnesota Legislature.

Lawmakers have been cramming in committee hearings all week to hear as many proposals as possible. Bills that don't receive a positive vote in at least one chamber's policy committees will have a tougher time making it into law this year.

That's why several committees are meeting on Friday when lawmakers are usually home in their districts.

Proposals to regulate gun sales, traffic safety, health care and other things are covered by the deadline. Just shy of 1,600 bills have been introduced in the House and more than 1,400 have come in the Senate so far this year.

Budget bills face much later deadlines. And bills that miss the deadline sometimes surface as amendments to those budget bills later in the year.

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