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Dear Neighbors,
I hope each of you are finding time this summer for the things that matter most to you. I want to thank everyone who attended the Edina and Bloomington Town Hall conversations in June. The unique timing of them in the immediate aftermath of the horrific events that took place on June 14 made it a very important gathering of our community. I am appreciative of the conversation as we worked together to process what took place and the complex impact on elected officials as individuals, our communities, our state, and our country. I am more committed than ever to stay in this work, and will forever hold Melissa and Mark Hortman close along the way.
That said, here is a look back at the end of the 2025 session.
On June 9, we began the special one-day session at 10am and gaveled out just before 11pm. In that timeframe, we passed the remaining budget bills that reflect our closely divided government including Commerce, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, Health, Children and Families, Higher Ed, K-12 Education, Human Services, Taxes, Transportation and a $700M Bonding package.
 Although there was a lot of good bipartisan work this session (see my bills below), I also want to address one of the most concerning actions taken this session. Colleagues from across the aisle threatened to shut down the government—potentially laying off thousands of Minnesotans—in order to eliminate healthcare coverage access for our undocumented immigrant neighbors. While the bill does continue care for children, it will kick off thousands from quality and affordable care they rely on. No new undocumented adults will be able to sign up, and coverage for adults will end on January 1st.
I was a strong ‘no’ vote on it for several reasons. It is not only cruel to deny hardworking Minnesotans affordable healthcare access, it is also costly to our healthcare system to do so. There is a lot of disinformation on this topic, and I want to share some data and facts to explain my vote. Undocumented immigrants pay both state and federal taxes and contribute $220M to Minnesota’s economy annually. If an undocumented immigrant qualifies for MinnesotaCare, it is because their income level is at or near poverty level. If they choose to enroll in MN Care, they pay premiums and copays just like everyone else.
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) into federal law, which ensures public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay. Our Minnesota hospitals, as they are legally bound, will take care of everyone in the event of an emergency. The cost to care for individuals in the emergency room instead of providing preventive care is exponentially higher. We heard from hospitals, especially those in rural Minnesota, who were adamantly opposed to this cut because of the additional financial strain expected for increased emergency room care and their ability to stay afloat.
This is a policy decision that negatively impacts the safety and care for all Minnesotans.
In a time when the federal government is gutting programs like Medicaid that are poised to kick 140,000 people in our state off of public healthcare insurance, many of them children, I am proud to stand strong on the side of work that improves the lives of Minnesotans. Below is a look at this session’s accomplishments, including a balanced budget and protections for strong gun violence prevention law, paid family & medical leave, universal school meals, and education funding, specifically linking the per-pupil formula to inflation.
As taxpayers, we have the right to ask questions of our open public government entities. This is an important element of our government for oversight and accountability. However, over the past few years, there have been a high number of anonymous and obscure data requests made to government entities throughout our state, including public school districts, counties, and state agencies, that never get collected. It is a childish ritual from a few members of the public that is very costly in resources and government staff time.
I am happy to report that my bill to reduce this abuse of non-serious data requests passed and became law on July 1, and is already having a positive effect. I garnered bipartisan support, and was glad to see shared understanding of this important accountability layer. The Edina School Board is already using this law with their revised policy to prevent these tedious and wasteful requests. You can read more about the background of the bill here.
Student safety remains a top priority for me, and I am happy to report that my bill providing $1M for K-12 schools (public + private) to add emergency response entry boxes as part of a school’s emergency crisis response plan passed with strong bipartisan support. More on that here.
Several additional new laws went into effect on July 1st that may affect you. For instance, many boaters will need an operator's permit to drive a boat or personal watercraft in Minnesota. The requirement will start with boaters 21 and younger, but will gradually apply to older age groups by 2028. Also, motorcyclists will be allowed to lane split and lane filter. For everyone's safety, we should all understand how that works. You can learn more about it here.
Other highlights include:
- $777 million in Legacy fund dollars to invest in the things that make Minnesota a great place to live - our parks and trails, clean lakes and rivers, and the arts;
- Ticketed events with at least 100 attendees now have to provide access to free water and allow attendees to bring either factory-sealed or empty water bottles;
- New protections for minors appearing in online media;
- And the law the fishing members of my family are most excited about – large and smallmouth bass fishing is now allowed year-round. 🎣
I encourage you to take a look at this list of new laws to learn more.
This summer, I started work with a group of students from Edina and Bloomington for a policy-driven internship focused on developing firearm safety legislation that we hope to introduce in the 2026 session. Current law allows firearms to be in vehicles on public school property as long as they are in the trunk or the glove box. We don’t think those parameters are ‘safely secured,’ so we are working to change that. This brilliant group is invested, and I am thrilled they all want to extend their participation in this work with a year-long commitment.
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On July 4th, President Trump signed a bill enacting sweeping cuts to healthcare, food assistance, clean energy, and more. The devastating blows feared since November have arrived, and they come with a great cost to Minnesotans.
Minnesota Management and Budget shared preliminary projections about the impacts of these federal cuts, and it is bad. The impacts will be felt by the state, by our counties, and by our individual wallets. In addition to the Medicaid cuts I mentioned earlier, this bill will increase the cost of private insurance for an estimated 89,000 Minnesotans, and over 60,000 Minnesotans will lose access to private health insurance entirely.
The bill also makes it more difficult for those who are food insecure to access the food and nutrition they need with its cut to SNAP benefits. We have seen first-hand through Universal School Meals how reducing bureaucratic hurdles like paperwork helps resources more easily reach those who need them most. I don’t understand why it is a priority for the Trump administration to make it harder for struggling families to put food on the table.
The bill is also projected to make home energy costs soar. Costs could increase as much as 40% over the next ten years – not accounting for inflation, that would mean an average cost of $400 monthly per household. The bill also claws back many tax credits for things that reduce home energy costs, like weatherization and solar panels, meaning these higher energy costs come without an affordable pathway to lower them.
This bill will undoubtedly make life more expensive for Minnesotans in every corner of the state. Many of the worst provisions of the bill won’t reach their full impact until after the 2026 midterm elections – another attempt by the Trump Administration to shift blame for the impacts of irresponsible actions by MAGA loyalists. This bill couldn’t be further from what Minnesotans want, and it’s reprehensible that the Trump Administration is so carelessly forcing this hurt on our communities.
While we have received these preliminary projections, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about other effects of this bill. Regardless of what comes out of Washington, I will always fight for smart policies that make life more affordable and provide access and opportunities for Minnesotans. Please continue to reach out about the things that matter most to you and speak up as you feel the effects of the federal budget.
I am teaming up with District 50 legislators Sen. Alice Mann and Rep. Steve Elkins for a school supply drive and potluck event. Invite details are below. I’d love to see you there.
I want to hear from you. This interim, I will be in neighborhoods to talk and connect with constituents as I prepare for the 2026 session. If you'd like to schedule a casual gathering with some neighbors or meet with me individually, please reach out. I can be reached by email at rep.julie.greene@house.mn.gov, or you can email my legislative assistant at Spencer.Crose@house.mn.gov, or you can reach me by phone at 651-296-4363.
To receive my legislative updates on a regular basis, please subscribe here. I also invite you to follow my Facebook page here.
Thank you for staying engaged. As always, it is an honor to represent you and our communities.
Sincerely,,
Julie Greene, District 50A
5th Floor Centennial Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155
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