Tax Conformity

Last week, the House and Senate passed a tax conformity bill that will allow filers to amend their taxes for the past five years and conform them with federal tax laws. The bill provides nearly $100 million in tax relief, and gives filers a full year to complete the paperwork. This year, tax filing opens January 23. For more information on the new law, visit the Department of Revenue's website here.

CROWN Act

On Thursday, the House overwhelmingly voted to pass the CROWN Act, which ensures protection against discrimination for race-based hairstyles and textures, such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools. This bill has been passed by 18 other states as well as the U.S. House. In Minnesota, the bill now awaits action by the Senate.

HF 1 to Receive Floor Vote

This week, we anticipate the DFL scheduling House File 1 for a vote on Thursday, which codifies unrestricted abortion at any time throughout a pregnancy up to birth. This includes late-term abortions and partial birth abortions, which are overwhelmingly not supported by the public, even among pro-choice people. This bill continues Minnesota's policy that abortion clinics are NOT required to be licensed or inspected, which could put the life and health of the mother at risk. The bill also does nothing to protect juveniles who get abortion, some of whom have been sex trafficked.

Back in July 2022, a judge struck down several protections written into Minnesota's abortion laws, including a 24-hour waiting period and a requirement that both parents be notified before a minor gets an abortion, as well as requirements that only physicians can perform abortions and that abortions after the first trimester must be performed in hospitals to protect against complications that threaten the life and health of the mother, which are more common in later term abortions. In that case, our Attorney General Keith Ellison refused to appeal this decision, forgoing his obligation to defend state laws in court.

Higher Education

We began digging into budget work in the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee over the past week, putting our duty to provide a budget for the Office of Higher Education ahead of any policy changes that may or may not be needed this session. I am proud to be buckling down on the necessary work of providing a check on how state dollars are spent and ensuring that the budget is executed in a responsible way for our higher education institutions in this state.