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Good morning!
We’re in the final two weeks of the legislative session, and things are moving fast. The time crunch we’re facing is no accident. The 23-day boycott by Democrats at the start of session cost us valuable time and put us behind from the start. As a result, we’re now working under an unnecessarily compressed schedule, forcing us to push through major omnibus bills and wrap up negotiations very quickly. Even with that setback, I’m staying focused on delivering real results for Minnesotans. It’s going to take serious discipline and cooperation to meet the May 19th deadline, but I believe we can get it done. I’ll continue keeping you updated as we close out the session.
MinnesotaCare
One of the major holdups, as I’ve mentioned before, is the Democrats’ push to fund healthcare for illegal immigrants through the Health omnibus bill. MinnesotaCare was never meant to cover those here illegally, but Democrats are refusing to adjust eligibility requirements. Instead, they’re threatening to defund the entire program if they can’t get their way. This puts thousands of Minnesotans at risk of losing coverage just so Democrats can protect benefits for people who are not in this country legally. It’s a reckless move that prioritizes illegal immigrants over Minnesota taxpayers and undermines the integrity of a program that was designed to help our own. The number of illegal immigrants that have enrolled in the program continues to increase, as of May 1st the number is around 20,200 individuals. This is almost 3x the number of enrollees that were anticipated over the course of 4 years. It is irresponsible and unfair to fund this program with taxpayer dollars, especially as we are facing a $6 billion deficit after the Democrat's spending spree last session. I will keep you updated on what happens with the Health bill and the MinnesotaCare program.
Another Holdup: Education
As I mentioned last week, one of the final bills still being held up is the Education finance bill. Despite a signed bipartisan agreement on the bill’s provisions, Democrats walked away from the deal after facing pressure from an outside group over the planned sunset of their unemployment insurance mandate.
Last session, Democrats created a mandate requiring schools to provide unemployment insurance during the summer for certain employees, including bus drivers and paraprofessionals. The result has been chaos for school districts. Schools are now short-staffed during the summer because employees can collect benefits instead of working, and many are giving last-minute notices before the school year starts in order to qualify. It’s unworkable. Schools are being forced to manage a mandate they cannot afford and did not ask for.
That’s why we’re standing behind the decision to sunset this mandate. The bill already had bipartisan support, and the Democrats should honor the agreement they made. If you care about protecting our schools from unfunded and damaging mandates, I encourage you to contact them and urge a yes vote on the bill they already helped negotiate. It's time to stop playing games and get this done.
Human Services Bill Provisions
The Human Services omnibus bill passed early this week, and I want to highlight the good provisions that we were able to secure in the bill:
- Reduces spending by $1.3 billion
- No cuts to nursing homes
- Stops the fraud by increasing oversight on programs susceptible to fraud, waste, or abuse
- Establishes a more stringent billing system in areas susceptible to overbilling
Overall, we succeeded in protecting essential services for our aging and vulnerable populations, which was a non-negotiable priority for House Republicans. We also stayed focused on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse by improving oversight and tightening billing practices in areas that have historically been exploited. Just as important, we took responsible steps to rein in spending compared to last session to begin addressing the $6 billion deficit Democrats have created.
The bill now moves to conference committee, where the House and Senate versions will be reconciled. Once the language is aligned, it will return to both chambers for a final vote before heading to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
Fishing Opener
The fishing opener is this weekend, and I want to wish you all the best of luck. The weather should be beautiful, so this will be a great weekend to spend out on the lake!
Mother's Day
And coincidentally, this Sunday is Mother's Day. Don't forget to thank the moms in your life for all they do and have done. I look forward to spending time with my family this weekend. Happy Mother's Day!
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