State lawmakers are on recess this week after reaching their first major legislative deadline on Friday. It's a key point in the session when bills need to clear committees to stay alive. That means we’re nearly at the halfway mark of what’s already been a tense and high-stakes year at the Capitol. The session began amid fallout from a major ICE surge in the state, along with renewed concerns about fraud in state programs and ongoing debates over public safety.

MPR News politics reporter Dana Ferguson joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to walk us through where things stand.