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Dear Neighbor,

Greetings from the House, where work on finance bills has picked up after we reached a bipartisan agreement on the framework of Minnesota’s next two-year budget.

Legislators have agreed to cut $4 billion from the current budget, with an additional $1.2 billion reduction in 2026-27. This represents the largest spending reduction in Minnesota history to address a looming $6 billion shortfall after one-party control at the Capitol spent the $18 billion surplus, raised taxes by $10 billion and increased the state budget by 40-percent in 2023.

This agreement is only the first step in the process of setting a new budget before our May 19 deadline to adjourn, but it is a sign we can work together. Our committee chairs are working to put together a common-sense budget that makes life more affordable for Minnesotans. At the same time, we need to continue working to crack down on fraud, waste and abuse that is costing taxpayers dearly and damaging the state’s bottom line.

House Republicans are holding strong on fiscal responsibility, securing budget figures that would represent the largest spending cut in state history and taking a major step toward fixing the shortfall.

Education is one area of the budget where different approaches need to be squared away during the budget-making process. Gov. Tim Walz proposes [ [link removed] ] trimming more than $240 million from education in 2026-27 and another $445 million in 2028-29. This includes cutting merit-based teacher compensation (Q Comp), special education transportation, and non-public pupil support.

A group of Catholic Bishops (pictured below) recently came to the Capitol to discuss issues and expressed concern over cuts the governor proposes to non-public education. I appreciate the input and support their position opposing cuts to non-public education.

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Meanwhile, school districts are feeling the weight of more than 65 unfunded mandates placed on them in 2023. This includes a new leave program, sick-time requirements, and unemployment insurance mandates for hourly school-year employees applied during the summer months.

Our children continue falling behind in the classroom, yet additional mandates are pushing school districts into shortfalls. We need to turn this around by eliminating micromanagement, mandates, and misplaced priorities in Minnesota’s K-12 education system. Instead, our school districts need more local control and flexibility so they can focus on helping our students succeed.

*MinnCap visitors*

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Thank you to the Minnesota Community Action Grant representatives to recently took time to meet with me in St. Paul. I appreciate the input.

*Scuba bill approved*

In the last couple years, there were two separate tragic deaths of young men operating commercial diving equipment. The House this week provided overwhelming bipartisan approval for a bill (H.F. 1355 [ [link removed] ]) improving safety standards for these workers.

The bill we passed will help protect workers from preventable tragedies by ensuring basic safety standards are in place for this growing and largely unregulated line of work in our state. It could help save lives in our very own part of the state, where lakes are plentiful and provide summer work – often for young people.

It was good to see strong support for this bill as it passed, and I hope the governor soon enacts the Brady Aune and Joseph Anderson Safety Act into law.

Until next time, have a great weekend and please stay in touch.

Sincerely,

Lisa






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State Rep. Lisa Demuth
2nd Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55155
[email protected]
(651) 296-4373







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