The 93rd Legislature Comes to a Wrap 

This week is the final few days of the 93rd legislative session as we approach the constitutional end date on Monday, May 20th. We have spent nearly all 120 legislative days we are allotted each biennium as we come down to the wire on passing any final legislation for the year. While not quite as fast-paced as last year these final few weeks have seen a number of controversial bills as well as some great wins for the people of Minnesota. 

Last week House Republicans sent legislation restoring religious liberty to the governor's desk with a unanimous vote off the House floor. Last year Democrats removed the religious exemption from a portion of the Minnesota Human Rights Act when they created a new definition of ‘sexual identity.’ This language originally introduced by my Republican colleague, Representative Niska, restores that religious exemption. It took time to resolve the issue, but in the end the legislature rightly prioritized individual religious liberty. Thankfully, we addressed this issue before it did any more damage to our religious communities. I extend my heartfelt thanks to our faith community members, their dedication and commitment to justice have resulted in a just outcome. 

Another win from last week, the House unanimously approved a provision that increases the valuation amount that disabled veterans and surviving spouses can have excluded from their property taxes. The property valuation for disabled veterans with a 100% disability would increase from $300,000 to $400,000, and for disabled veterans with a 70% disability, it would increase from $150,000 to $200,000. These exclusions haven’t been adjusted for 16 years. With the dramatic increase in the value of homes in recent years, Minnesota needs to help ensure veterans and their surviving spouses can remain in their homes. 

As this week progresses and this legislative session concludes, bills are starting to pile up with three bills on the table as of Tuesday, with both the Equal Rights Amendment (SF 37) and Ranked Choice Voting (HF 3276) included in those. Both of these will likely take many hours to debate given the pile of amendments already pre-filed on both of these bills. With time running out, I hope the speaker will prioritize responsible legislation.  

I have lasting concerns about the state of the budget as we look ahead to the next biennium. The February forecast already indicated that a nearly 2 billion dollar deficit is on the horizon, and with the additional spending in many of these supplemental budget bills, I would not be surprised if that projection grows worse in the next forecast. The legislature should act as good stewards of taxpayer dollars and use them efficiently for the most effective benefit of our constituents. Two years of unrestrained spending is about to catch up to Minnesota’s fiscal health, I hope the next legislature will be prepared to deal with some of the harsh realities of a mounting deficit.