A family-friendly Minnesota House?

When he first took over the job running the Minnesota House, Speaker Kurt Zellers pledged to make being a lawmaker a more family friendly job. No late nights on the House floor. No Friday and weekend meetings.

And he's stuck to that pledge. Well, sort of stuck to that pledge. If pledges allow exceptions.

The six-hour debate on the education finance bill began Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. and didn't finish up until 2:45 am Wednesday morning, when lawmakers were hoarse-voiced, bleary-eyed and yawning. The House taxes committee has had a long Saturday meeting as has the Property and Local Tax Division and several other committees have hosted Friday meetings.

But Zellers noted those are exceptions, not the rule.

"I think with the exception of the education bill, we haven't been here on late nights. I don't think we've been here, maybe a few of the committees have met over the weekend but the folks aren't here today. They are back home in their districts. They are back home talking about what they passed this week. They are back talking about what's coming up next week, where they are in the session. So, yeah, I think we've done a great job at keeping our word on how we are going to run the place," Zellers, R-Maple Grove, said Friday.

Zellers also said he has given no consideration to reinforcing time limits on floor sessions, as the DFL had done when they were in charge.

"We've granted all kinds of latitude for members of both parties to ask questions of members on bills, so we fully understand, fully vet 'em," Zellers said.