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Dear friends,

We’re in a busy stretch of the legislative session! We’re seeing a steady flow of bills—both individual proposals and larger committee policy packages—passing their way off the House Floor and into conference committees.

The final budget bills are now moving out of the Ways and Means Committee, which I’m proud to co-chair, and are being voted on the floor. From there, conference committees will begin the critical work of reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions. Once agreements are reached, those bills will return to each chamber for a final vote before heading to the Governor’s desk.

All of this must be wrapped up before our constitutional adjournment deadline on May 19, and I’m encouraged by the bipartisan collaboration I’ve seen so far. There’s still a lot to do—but we’re making strong progress.

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A Deeper Dive into Ways & Means

As I stated above, every budget bill has or will come through the Ways & Means Committee. Some of the biggest pieces of legislation we heard were the Judiciary and Public Safety bills, which invest over $2.2 billion in public safety—including support for our corrections system, law enforcement training, and overdose prevention—plus $1.4 billion for the judiciary, funding everything from our state courts to public defenders and civil legal aid. These investments reflect our commitment to keeping communities safe and ensuring access to justice for all Minnesotans. 

Alongside the funding, the bill also includes meaningful policy updates, from expanding protections for victims and vulnerable people, to strengthening our response to the opioid crisis, to modernizing court procedures. I’m pleased with the collaborative work that’s gone into this package, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure Minnesota’s justice and public safety systems serve everyone fairly and effectively.

We also passed the Agriculture bill, which addresses federal cuts to programs that keep Minnesotans fed, increases funding for the Down Payment Assistance Program, and protects workers and consumers from bird flu by increasing workplace protections for farm and meat processing workers and ensuring retail testing of milk and poultry products. And our Legacy bill invests in our local parks, wildlife, clean water, and arts.

These bills reflected the fact that in a tied House, we must work together, and I’m thrilled that we reached a bipartisan agreement while still delivering a substantial budget that improves Minnesotans’ lives.

Keep in Touch

Please continue to reach out anytime if you need assistance or have questions at [email protected] or 651-296-5513.

It’s an honor to represent our Coon Rapids and Anoka families in St. Paul.

Sincerely,

Rep. Zack Stephenson

Minnesota House of Representatives 






State Representative Zack Stephenson

5th Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St.
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-296-5513
www.house.mn.gov/members/profile/15507
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