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Dear Neighbor,

I hope you’re enjoying summer, even with the high temps and smoky skies we’ve suffered lately. It’s been great spending more time back home since the session ended, talking with area residents and hearing what’s on your mind.

As for official business, here are a some updates from the Capitol:

*New laws take effect*

Several new state laws went into effect on July 1. Some of the more notable changes pertain to social media warning labels, school safety requirements, infrastructure funding, and protections for crime victims. You can find a complete summary of those changes at this link [ [link removed] ]. Additional laws will take effect Aug. 1, so be sure to check this House website [ [link removed] ] for another update.

*Paid Leave program update*

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recently released its first six-month update on the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program. The report raises important questions and numerous concerns.

While DEED reported that 75,000 Minnesotans have been approved for leave, we’ve since learned that more than 92,000 leave applications have actually been approved. Because many people qualify for multiple types of leave, the program is now on pace to approve roughly 184,000 claims this year, far greater than the original projection of 130,000 annual claims.

Interestingly, the data also shows that 67 percent of approved applications come from employees working for businesses with 200 or more workers. Meanwhile, businesses with 30 or fewer employees account for just 14 percent of approved applications. That raises major questions about whether the program is primarily benefiting employees at larger companies since many of those workers may have already had paid leave benefits before this incredibly expensive new program was enacted.

I’ll keep an eye on this, especially since such a high rate of claims could trigger an increase in the payroll tax that funds PFML. Under current law, any tax rate adjustment must be announced by July 31 and cannot exceed 1.1 percent of wages. Minnesota already has an affordability problem, and an increase of any kind would only put additional financial pressure on businesses, school districts, local governments, and taxpayers in our state.

*The 60-day rule*

Today brings us to 60 days since the 2026 legislative session adjourned, at which point legislators are prohibited from sending newsletters like this until after the November election. Although these updates will pause for a while, my work representing our district certainly won’t. I’ll continue meeting with residents, working on issues important to people in our area, and helping constituents however I can.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with your questions, concerns, or ideas. In the meantime, I hope you continue enjoying the rest of the summer and I look forward to seeing many of you around our district in the weeks ahead.

Sincerely,

Shane






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State Rep. Shane Mekeland
2nd Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55155
[email protected] <[email protected]>
(651) 296-2451







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