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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Liz Boldon (DFL)

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Minnesota House of Representatives adjourns 2021 special session

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Saint Paul, Minn. — Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives finished approving a new two-year state budget and adjourned sine die. The Minnesota House, controlled by Democrats, and the Minnesota Senate, controlled by Republicans, convened for a special session on June 14th to finalize a bipartisan budget agreement and avoid a state government shutdown on July 1st. Representatives Liz Boldon and Tina Liebling (DFL - Rochester) released the following statements to commemorate the the end of this extraordinary session:

“The COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis unlike anything Minnesotans have ever experienced, with impacts that will be felt for many years. This year’s legislative session focused on helping Minnesotans recover and positioning our state to be better prepared in the future,” said Rep. Tina Liebling. 

“Though we had to adapt to extraordinary circumstances and worked under a contentious atmosphere, we managed to craft a budget which prioritizes the most vulnerable in our state. Our community has been through a lot in the past year, but I am confident we will come back strong with the help of this legislation,” said Rep. Boldon. “While there is much to like in this bill, a lot was kept off the table due to Senate Republican intransigence. We have a lot of work to do next session and I look forward to returning to serve our community.”

The House DFL secured extensive investments in families, workers, students, and small businesses who’ve been hit hardest by the pandemic, including:

  • Increase in Child Care Assistance Program rates
  • Great Start Task force to look at making childcare more accessible, affordable, and ensure fair compensation
  • Funding for the Bridges to Healthcare Program to provide support and wraparound services for people with low incomes going into healthcare careers
  • A historic increase in funding for public schools and preservation of all day pre-K for 4,000 preschoolers
  • Financial support for frontline workers who sacrificed their health to keep all of us safe during the pandemic  
  • Investments in access to affordable child care for families and increased funding for providers
  • A plan to prevent an eviction crisis and expand access to affordable housing
  • Targeted tax cuts for workers and small businesses harmed by the pandemic
  • Investments to improve public health and reduce racial disparities in health care
  • State aid for small businesses in the Lake, Midway, and West Broadway corridors damaged during last year’s civil unrest
  • Better access to reliable public transit and investments in roads, bridges, and rail
  • Substantial reforms to sexual assault laws to bring justice to victims
  • Measures to reform policing and increase accountability
  • Investments in families who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness
  • Delivering an overdue pay raise for our PCAs and additional support for home and community-based services to help people live independently
  • Substantial investments to reduce racial disparities and improve equity
  • Funding for the Market Bucks program to provide healthy and affordable farmers’ market produce to SNAP/EBT users

As a result of a bipartisan deal to end Governor Walz’s emergency powers on July 1, the Legislature will not convene for a July special session or continue meeting monthly as it has done since the pandemic began. 

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