Legislative update

Dear Neighbor,

The legislature adjourned Monday with the state’s next two-year budget only partially in place and a special session expected soon to finish the job.

Remember, House Democrats stayed home the first 23 days of this session, putting the legislature behind from the get-go. Then, they caused further delays by backing out of bipartisan agreements that had been reached on numerous budget bills.

The graphic to the right shows where things stood at the midnight Monday deadline. Let’s touch on a couple of the budget bills that did pass and now are on the governor’s desk to be enacted:

Ag bill

The House recently provided final approval for this year’s ag bill, which most notably combats infectious diseases in flocks and herds and helps the state’s agriculture industry in general.

The bill provides $115 million to the Department of Agriculture, $13.5 million to the Board of Animal Health, $8.7 million to the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute and $2 million to the Office of Broadband Development. The appropriations include $400,000 for grants to combat the spread of livestock and poultry diseases.

Minnesota is a national leader in agriculture, and overall, this is a strong bill that will support the industry and benefit our farmers. A few adjustments were made to the House’s original proposal due to a reduction in the overall spending total during the process as we work to erase a $6 billion shortfall facing our state. I’m especially pleased that we preserved increased funding for the Board of Animal Health, which is critical to addressing disease outbreaks in our flocks and herds.

Veterans bill

The House also recently passed a bill providing meaningful support for our veterans, including expanded mental health services, funding for veterans’ homes, and more. A key component of the bill is a significant investment in suicide prevention, aimed at reducing the loss of nearly 100 veterans each year in Minnesota. The bill also grants pension credit to National Guard members deployed on state active duty, recognizing service during floods and wildfires on par with federal deployments. Additionally, it provides full funding for all eight of Minnesota’s veterans homes, including the new facility up in Montevideo.

Special session ahead

Over the past two years, when Democrats held full control at the Capitol, they spent the $18 billion surplus, raised taxes by $10 billion, and left Minnesota facing a projected $6 billion deficit. In response, House Republicans have been working diligently to rein in that spending. We delivered a budget agreement that includes nearly $5 billion in cuts from one budget cycle to the next, marking the largest budget reduction in state history.

We’re now focused on finalizing the remaining details as we prepare for a special session that should happen as soon as possible. With more than half of the budget bills still unresolved, House Republicans remain committed to ensuring that no new taxes are imposed on Minnesota families.

Watch for more from the Capitol as developments occur. As always, please stay in touch and let me know how I can help.

Sincerely,

Chris