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Dear Neighbors,
We’re wrapping up our special session on the state budget today. It’s been a busy couple of weeks of late nights, debates, and negotiations, but despite being the only divided state legislature in the nation, we were able to come together to deliver a budget that will help Minnesota recover from the struggles of the past year.
In any compromise, things get left behind, and that’s certainly the case here. Senate Republicans blocked several important proposals, ranging from common sense police accountability measures to a comprehensive approach to combating climate change - though I am happy to say my bill creating a revolving loan fund allowing energy conservation improvements in state buildings made the cut. Nevertheless, there are a lot of important wins in this budget, and it’s ultimately a compromise that will do good for our state.
We still have our Tax bill left to pass today, but you can find nonpartisan descriptions of the budget bills we already passed below. I’ve also included a note on some of my proposals included in the final bills.
Other proposals of mine that have been signed into law - or will be soon, include my bill to close campaign finance loopholes in Hennepin County elections, my legislation allowing dentists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine, and my provision in the upcoming Tax bill on Local Government Aid that will save the City of Crystal $232,000.
Ending the Peacetime Emergency
Thanks to a recent deal with the US Department of Agriculture to continue emergency food assistance, and our Housing budget that creates an eviction moratorium off-ramp, we were able to vote for a safe and orderly end to the COVID-19 peacetime emergency. More Minnesotans are being vaccinated, cases are going down, and the measures we’ve taken ensure ending executive orders don’t leave Minnesotans hanging.
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