HF 2310 - Environment and Energy Omnibus
On April 17, the House heard the Environment and Energy Omnibus bill. This bill adds more bureaucracy, complexity, and expenses for Minnesotans. Drives up energy bills, jacks up the fees for fishing, boating, and visiting our great state parks. At a time when we have a $17.5 billion surplus, it is unjustifiable to be driving up costs and making life more unaffordable for Minnesotans.
The net general fund spending for Climate and Energy represents a 513% increase over the current base funding and a 2,286% growth of the Renewable Development Account, and the Environment portion raises millions of dollars in fees. The imposition of expensive mandates will be passed directly along to taxpayers.
HF 2335 - Housing Omnibus
This metro-focused bill hurts the very people it is supposed to help with a sales tax increase. The bill heavily favors rental assistance over creating more housing that would help bring down prices and create wealth for Minnesotans.
Housing availability and cost increases are a major concern for many Minnesotans who have been priced out of the market by record-high inflation. When we should be focusing on solutions that help people build a home and establish roots in Minnesota, this bill focuses on the short-term solution of housing assistance while adding yet another regressive tax to fund a tax-and-spend agenda.
Another tax increase: The bill raises another 0.25% metro area retail sales tax increase in the 7-county Metro Area. This is in addition to the Metro Area sales tax increase in the Transportation Bill. Because sales taxes are regressive, this will hurt the same people the rental assistance in this bill tries to help.
HF 2278 - Agriculture and Broadband Omnibus
The additional fees and regulations contained in this bill make Minnesota’s farmers less competitive and less profitable at a time many are already struggling. The Department of Agriculture is the only entity this bill will make more profitable.
The net increase in non-general fund fees in this bill is $13.6 million. This bill has a 64% increase in the fertilizer inspection fee (from 39 cents to 64 cents per ton), a 5% surcharge on license and permit fees to pay for MDA’s technology upgrades, and a new 0.2% assessment on the value of all grain sold for the grain indemnity fund.
In addition to fees, the bill also increases regulation. Even though an egregious provision requiring verification of need to plant treated seed was eliminated, this bill still sets up a treated-seed program and a funding mechanism, which remains concerning even though the account is not funded.
SF 2934 - Human Services Omnibus
This bill could do so much good, but unfortunately instead of addressing the enormous crisis our nursing homes are facing, the bill provides only .01% of the state's budget to support our seniors. This bill does not go far enough to protect our seniors and save our nursing homes.
We are in the middle of a long-term care crisis with nursing homes closing across our state. Families are waiting months and looking up to 4 hours away to find a safe place for their loved one. Hospitals are clogged with patients that should be discharged to nursing homes. Unlike other facilities, nursing homes are the only other option besides a hospital with nurses around the clock. More than 1.3 million residents in the state are aged 65 or older. As these residents age, their need for care grows. Unfortunately, the State of Minnesota is not keeping up with these needs.
HF 2890 - Public Safety and Judiciary Omnibus
We should be helping the victims of crimes, preventing new victims, and showing criminals that Minnesota enforces its laws. This bill is a “get out of jail free” card for criminals. This makes thousands of incarcerated felons eligible for early release, reduces sentences for violent offenders, and provides over a hundred million dollars to non-profits with little accountability, while ignoring the needs of law enforcement officers across the state and failing to hold judges and prosecutors accountable for light sentences. Democrats’ misplaced priorities will help criminals instead of protecting Minnesota communities.
Instead of addressing the root causes of violent crime, this proposal copies failed policies from cities and states across the country. It will create strict and impractical hurdles for law-abiding Minnesotans seeking to exercise their 2nd Amendment right. Criminals looking to acquire firearms will not follow the complex new process laid out in the proposal and it will do nothing to stop the flow of firearms in the illicit, criminal gun market. Efforts should be focused on enforcing the numerous laws we already have governing firearm transfers before the Legislature creates new ones that will only harm law-abiding citizens.
This proposal violates due process and does not address the alleged safety risk—the individual. If someone is a legitimate threat, simply seizing firearms will not prevent an individual from doing harm to themselves or others through other means. The seizure of property without a warrant and due process, especially property that is explicitly protected by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution violates civil rights. Our efforts should be focused on providing support and care to those in crisis.
HF 2995 - Health Omnibus
Through this bill, Democrats are pushing their extreme, activist agenda that decreases parental rights, removes more guardrails on abortions, and diminishes the do no harm creed, harming our health care system while spending Minnesotans’ surplus on healthcare for undocumented immigrants and more taxpayer funding for abortions.
Nearly all of Minnesota’s commonsense, bipartisan prolife laws are repealed by this bill. These laws protected the health and safety of women, girls, and babies. MDH will no longer be required to report on abortion-related data. We collect other health data in Minnesota, which begs the question of why not this? It repeals the Women’s Right to Know Act so women will no longer have to receive information about abortion 24 hours before having the procedure. It fails to protect minors by removing the parental notification requirement and guarantees their right to an abortion.
This bill decimates protections in Minnesota’s Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which passed in 2015. Democrats are refusing to extend any basic human right by striking the requirement that medical personnel take reasonable measures to preserve the life and health of the born alive infant. According to MDH, five infants were born in 2021 after surviving an abortion attempt. The stricken language is replaced by reasonable measures to “care” for the born alive infant.
SF 2744 - Commerce Omnibus
The main concern in the Commerce Omnibus is that the bill transfers nearly $276 million in 2026 from the Premium Security Plan Account – which is used to fund Minnesota’s successful reinsurance program – to the General Fund. Eliminating funding for Minnesota’s reinsurance program will cause health insurance rates on the individual market to skyrocket.
Oxbow Park Nature Center
I just attended the ribbon cutting at the new nature center at Oxbow Park. Oxbow has more visitors than any other venue in Olmsted county, other than the Mayo Clinic. Hundreds of students were visiting while I was there. The new exhibits, educational areas, meeting and classrooms will allow even more people to enjoy nature and the zoo.
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