Kraft Banner 2023

Dear neighbors,

Today is our “third deadline” which is when all bills must be through their necessary committees, other than Ways & Means. Ways & Means is where all bills that involve any money go before they can go to the floor. Most committees will no longer have regular meetings after this week. It’s not impossible to still get bills through that haven’t made it to Ways & Means, but generally, this requires an exception given by the Rules Committee.

House leaders announced an agreement on committee finance targets for crafting a state budget for the next two years. This House agreement [ [link removed] ] calls for almost $1.16 billion in funding reductions to the General Fund. The main work of all finance committees (any committee that is responsible for a budget) over the past couple of weeks has been putting together individual budget bills that meet the targets given to them. Those bills will start going through Ways & Means and coming to the floor the week after our break, so starting April 21st. Then, after we come to a bipartisan agreement in the House, the work before us will be crafting an agreement that also balances the Senate budget targets [ [link removed] ] and the governor’s budget recommendations [ [link removed] ], which all have significant differences from the House. This will happen in conference committees in May.

Given the current economic forecast indicating a future state deficit, exacerbated by the chaotic impacts of federal tariffs and a wildly gyrating stock market, it is a challenging time to create a budget. While I know some of you that read this may disagree with me on some issues, I hope we can all agree that the business uncertainty and loss of consumer confidence being created by the day-to-day whipsaw of on-again off-again tariff policy is not good. I’m not an economist, but I’m really concerned that the Trump administration is taking us off a cliff into a completely avoidable recession that will hurt a lot of Minnesotans.

Transit Assistance Program Bill

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When I first heard about this idea from my friends at Move MN, it struck me as such common sense. As I learned more, it only reinforced my initial impression. Metro Transit has a Transit Assistance Program [ [link removed] ] (or TAP) that is designed to make public transit more affordable for people with lower incomes. It provides a reduced-fare pass where folks can use transit for $1 per ride. 

One of the biggest challenges with the program is awareness. In 2024, only about 11,500 unique users took advantage of the program - about 4500 per month. Yet, over 600,000 in the metro area are eligible.

So, what my bill [ [link removed] ] does is require that the TAP application be integrated into the MN Benefits [ [link removed] ] portal, the place where people apply for other types of benefits administered by the state, such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). This will cost about $35,000, a very small price tag by state budget parameters, and the result will help more people get around cost-effectively as they live their lives. It’s also projected to pay for itself within a few months or less and will increase ridership on transit (which also improves safety, too).

You can see the hearing on the bill at this link [ [link removed] ].

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Trans Rights Town Hall!

I’m really excited to be hosting an issue-focused town hall on transgender rights on Saturday, April 26th, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. My colleague and friend Rep. Leigh Finke, along with Carin Mrotz and Allan Aguilar from Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office, will be joining me at Westwood Hills Nature Center (830 W Franklin Ave., St. Louis Park, MN 55426). Trans people have been under attack by the Trump administration, as well as in many states around the country, simply for existing. Within Minnesota, we’ve already seen many harmful bills introduced this session. We’ll talk about how we’re pushing back in Minnesota and what’s going on around the country. All constituents are invited to attend. I hope you can make it!

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Gov. Walz Announces Effort to Help Laid-Off Federal Workers Find Jobs in Minnesota 

Governor Walz announced a new resource for federal employees who have recently lost their jobs or are facing employment uncertainty [ [link removed] ]. Minnesota’s tight labor market continues to be a challenge for businesses looking to hire in Minnesota, with less than one person unemployed for every job opening available. There are around 18,000 federal employees in Minnesota. Minnesota’s federal workers can visit the Minnesota Careers Website [ [link removed] ] to learn about available resources, including: 


* Job search and application preparation, including in-person and online workshops, resume reviews, and networking opportunities 
* Resources for veterans  
* Instructions to apply for Unemployment Insurance benefits 

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Clean Energy Resource Teams

I am always looking for opportunities to advance clean energy. Clean Energy Resource Teams [ [link removed] ], or CERTs, is a statewide partnership with a mission to connect Minnesotans and their communities with resources to identify, plan, and implement community-based clean energy projects. They help people better understand clean energy through stories and events and offer tools and resources to help them plan projects. They even help identify the steps to get started. You can learn more and find resources here [ [link removed] ]!

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Small Business Impact Survey

Amid ever-changing news around federal tariffs, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development [ [link removed] ] is gathering information from affected small businesses in Minnesota.

In this period of uncertainty, there may be a lag in data, so this survey is a way for our SLP business owners to communicate directly with the department now. The survey [ [link removed] ] takes less than five minutes to complete. By collaborating with Minnesota's locally owned small businesses, which face significant challenges, we can proactively plan for the state's future needs.

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Federal Cuts to MDH 

The Minnesota Department of Health announced last week [ [link removed] ] that the Trump administration is unilaterally rescinding $226 million in federal grants implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The cuts amount to about 25% of MDH’s current budget, according to KARE-11 [ [link removed] ], and are likely to result in the layoffs of around 200 employees. The actions are part of a broader nationwide effort to eliminate $11 billion in spending by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

The recent federal funding cuts raise serious concerns about healthcare access for all Minnesotans and may exacerbate existing medical care disparities across our state. These changes could potentially impact essential services, including COVID-19 testing capabilities, vaccination programs, and ongoing pandemic research initiatives. I am committed to pursuing solutions through collaboration, advocating for adequate public health funding, and supporting affected employees while ensuring our communities maintain access to vital health services during this challenging transition. 

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Constituent Meetings

I recently had some excellent meetings with constituents, and one with some teachers from Hopkins. A small part of my St. Louis Park district is actually part of Hopkins schools!

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Legislative Break

We’re heading into our Easter / Passover break next week. For those who celebrate, I wish you a Happy Passover or Happy Easter. We’ll be back on Monday, April 21st, for the final four weeks of the session, which ends on May 19th.

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Stay in Touch

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback  you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at [email protected] or call (651) 296-7026. For more regular updates, you can “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page [ [link removed] ].

Sincerely,

 

Larry Kraft

State Representative

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Representative Larry Kraft

5th Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155

Phone: 651-296-7026
Email: [email protected] "(replies to this newsletter are not monitored)"
Website: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]
Legislative Assistant: Caleb Rohrer 651-297-7025







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