2016 Minnesota Legislative Session Begins Tuesday

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Get ready for a strange session of Minnesota's Legislature.

Lawmakers were set to return to St. Paul Tuesday with just 10 weeks to tackle a long to-do list. But the short timeline isn't the only reason it's odd.

Major renovations at the Capitol pushed back the session to the latest start date in state history. The construction also means changes to their meeting places.

House lawmakers will meet in their usual chamber without running water and little space for the public. The Senate has a makeshift chamber in a new adjacent office building.

Gov. Mark Dayton says it will make the difficult dynamic of split-party control even harder.

Legislative leaders are eyeing a $900 million surplus for tax cuts, transportation funding, and other spending priorities before adjourning in late May.