Legislative Update from Rep. Kristin Robbins

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March 14, 2025

Executive Summary

• Special Election Results: What Does it Mean for the House

• House Passes Whistleblower Protection Bill with Unanimous Support

• Fixing Minnesota’s Broken Charitable Gambling Tax

• Bill to Support Moms & Babies Fails to Pass

• Second Civility Caucus Meeting

• Photos

Special Election Results: What Does it Mean for the House?

As you may recall, the November election resulted in a 67-67 tie in the Minnesota House. However, that balance temporarily shifted when a district judge ruled that a Democrat member-elect from Roseville was ineligible to take office because he did not actually live in District 40B. That ruling gave Republicans a 67-66 majority until a special election could be held to fill the vacancy.

That election took place Tuesday and, as expected in a heavily Democrat district, the DFL won, returning the House to a 67-67 tie. This is only the second time in state history that the House has been tied – the last time was in 1979.

When Rep.-elect Gottfried is sworn in on Monday, some things will change, but others will stay the same, in how the House operates for the rest of the session.

What will Change: Almost all committees will now have Republican & Democrat co-chairs and tied membership.

• During our 5-week 67-66 Majority, all Committees had a Republican Chair and one-vote majority. This enabled us to pass several of our priority bills out of committees. After having only ever served in the Minority, it has been busy and fun to finally have some of my bills get hearings and passed!
• Practically, this means that the “gavel” or chair will alternate between Republicans and Democrats for every Committee meeting. Republicans will plan a hearing and decide what bills come before the Committee on one day and Democrats will make those decisions the next day. Because nothing can pass out of committee without a majority vote, however, no bills will pass out of committee without bipartisan support.

What Stays the Same:

• Speaker Lisa Demuth will remain the sole Speaker of the House for the entire 2025-26 session. This means she will decide what comes up on the floor and she will also make rulings on what is in order, what is germane, etc.
• My House Fraud Prevention & State Agency Oversight Committee is the only Committee that will continue to have a Republican Chair and 5-3 Republican majority. We will continue our work to identify and stop waste, fraud and abuse in state programs.

Both of these items were part of the negotiated settlement that brought the Democrats back to work when they boycotted the first 4 weeks of session.

The 67-67 tie presents both challenges and opportunities. On one hand, every bill that passes must have bipartisan support, requiring Democrats and Republicans to work together. That’s a win for Minnesotans! It will also make it more difficult to pass key priorities and could complicate budget negotiations. I will certainly keep you updated as we navigate this unique and historic dynamic.

House Passes Whistleblower Protection Bill with Unanimous Support

On Monday, the Minnesota House passed my bill to strengthen whistleblower protections for state employees HF 23. I was very pleased that the bill passed with a unanimous 133-0 vote!

As I have said from the beginning, rooting out fraud is not a partisan issue, it is a separation of powers issue. The Legislature appropriates money and must also provide oversight of state agencies that spend the money.

This bill expands protections for state employees who report government “fraud” and “misuse,” which are now defined in statute so state employees feel more confident that their jobs and careers will be protected when reporting on fraud, waste and abuse they see.

The bill also expands who employees can report to and still receive protection, including law enforcement officials and other government bodies or agencies. Currently, state employees are only protected when reporting to a legislator, the Legislative Auditor, or a constitutional officer. With over $610 million in known fraud in state government, this bill is a crucial step toward protecting whistleblowers and increasing accountability in state agencies.

After weeks of resistance from House Democrats in committee, the unanimous vote reflects a bipartisan effort by my colleagues and me to agree on definitions and expansions of the current law in a way that ensures whistleblower protections and garners broad support. The unanimous floor vote sends a strong, bipartisan message about the importance of transparency and accountability in state government. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it has already received bipartisan support in the committee process.

Minnesotans deserve a government that safeguards taxpayer dollars and protects those who expose wrongdoing—this legislation is a vital step in that effort and I hope it eventually gets signed into law!

Fixing Minnesota’s Broken Charitable Gambling Tax

Minnesota’s charitable gambling system is supposed to support Veterans’ posts, youth sports, and local charities—but under the current law, the state takes more money from charities in taxes than the charities get to reinvest in their communities. With a top tax rate of 33.5% on charitable gaming net proceeds over $157,500, the state is profiting at the expense of organizations that do vital work across Minnesota. For at least 4 years I have been carrying several bills to either eliminate or reduce the tax on charitable gaming in the state. This week, my bill HF 169, was heard in the Tax Committee and was “laid over for possible inclusion” in the final tax bill. HF 169 would replace the state’s current tiered tax structure on charitable gaming with a 5% flat tax. This would significantly increase the money charities have to give out to meet local needs and would also reduce the complicated record keeping volunteers and gambling managers currently have to report to the state. Under current law, charities pay the following taxes to the state’s General Fund: 8% on net proceeds not more than $87,500 17% on net proceeds between $85,501 - $122,500 25% on net proceeds between $122,501 - $157,500 33.5% on net proceeds over $157,500 Before I was a Legislator, I had no idea all of the charitable gaming money didn’t stay with the charities to use for prizes and to donate in the community. My bill has the strong support of Veteran’s groups, Lions Clubs, local sports teams, and many other charities such as food shelves which are the recipients of donations from these community groups. You can see my closing remarks here. I hope we can get this tax cut for charities done this year! These groups fill critical needs in our communities that the state simply can’t meet. While state programs may have long waitlists and eligibility barriers, local charities step in to fill the gaps—helping struggling families, supporting homeless veterans, and funding youth programs. These groups know their communities' needs better than bureaucrats in St. Paul, yet they are being taxed so heavily that many are struggling to stay afloat. The charities have been asking for relief year after year. Yet even when the state had an $18 billion surplus, nothing was done to help charities or veterans’ organizations. Now in a deficit, we’re hearing the same excuses. It’s time to fix this broken system. Charities should not have to beg the state for permission to use their own funds to serve their communities. I will continue fighting to get HF 169 across the finish line because Minnesota’s charities and the communities they serve—not the state—should be the biggest beneficiaries of charitable gambling. THANK YOU to all the veterans, families, and non-profit leaders who came to the Capitol to testify in support of this bill!

Protecting Babies and Supporting Mothers

On Thursday, House Republicans brought forward two crucial bills aimed at protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring that women facing unplanned pregnancies have real options. Unfortunately, both measures were rejected by House Democrats in party-line votes, despite their clear moral and practical significance.

House File 24, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, would have reinstated a critical legal safeguard requiring that any baby born alive as a result of an abortion receive the same immediate, life-saving medical care as any other newborn. This common-sense protection was part of Minnesota law for 17 years, but was stripped away by Democrats in 2023. HF 24 sought to correct that and affirm the basic principle that every newborn—regardless of the circumstances of their birth—is entitled to care and dignity.

This bill does not restrict abortion or impose any new limitations on the procedure itself. It simply ensures that when a child is born alive, medical professionals have a legal duty to provide appropriate medical care. Failing to do so is a gross violation of medical ethics and a moral failing of society. Every life is valuable and any infant born alive should be recognized as a person under the law and afforded all of the same rights as any other living person.

Unfortunately, and surprisingly, this bill was narrowly defeated along party lines, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against. When this bill first passed more than 17 years ago, it had broad bipartisan support that reflects what I still think reflects the public consensus. Such prominent Democrats as Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy supported it when it originally passed.

House File 25 was another common-sense bill that would restore funding for pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes—organizations that provide practical support to women facing unplanned pregnancies.

The pregnancy resource centers had also received bipartisan support for 17 years, ensuring women had access to a full range of resources. Again, in 2023, Democrats eliminated $4 million in funding, cutting off critical support for women and babies in need, despite continuing to spend $24 million year on Planned Parenthood.

HF 25 would have simply restored the funding that was stripped away in 2023, allowing these important programs to continue serving Minnesota families and babies. Pregnancy resource centers do not take anything away from existing reproductive health services—instead, they provide women with additional options and support.

Unfortunately, HF 25 also failed on a party-line vote, with all 67 Republicans voting in favor and 65 Democrats voting against.

These bills were not extreme proposals. They simply restored funding and rights that had enjoyed bipartisan support in our state for 17 years. I hope we will find a way to revisit these issues later in session.

Second Civility Caucus Meeting

This week we had our second monthly Civility Caucus meeting – a quick boxed lunch with House and Senate colleagues in the Capitol between Committee meetings. Last month, we went out after Session for Happy Hour at Burger Moe’s, a fan-favorite for Members who live in St. Paul during the Legislative Session.

This is my 5th or 6th year serving as Co-Chair of the Civility Caucus. My co-Chairs are Rep. Sandra Feist (D), Sen. Zach Duckworth (R), and Sen. Grant Hauschild (D). Our mission is to build bipartisan, bicameral relationships so that we can get to know each other as people and build trust, which will help the institutions of the House and Senate function better. It is much easier to negotiate a complex bill if you have a relationship with the person you are negotiating with.

The Civility Caucus is open to all Members and meets once/month during session. We don’t have an agenda other than to foster good working relationships and who comes each month varies depending on everyone’s busy schedules. We usually start with basic introductions, have a couple of icebreaker questions, and then end with something work-related such as pitching bills to each other to try to get co-authors or Senate authors.

It is always a great break from the routine, and it is surprising to learn what we have in common with different Members. This is a little-known, but important part of my work at the Capitol and I hope it will help us achieve good results for Minnesota now that we are tied 67-67.

Photos

Such a fun, busy day at the Capitol! Great to see former Rogers Mayor Rick Ihli & Chad Lannets from CROSS Services who came to advocate for more funding for food shelves. So thankful for all they do in our communities for our neighbors in need!

Great to catch up with a constituent who was at the Capitol to discuss concerns small businesses have about all the new mandates for NFIB Minnesota’s Day on the Hill. So grateful when people take time out of their busy days to come to meet with us!

Also grateful for constituents who came to advocate for Alzheimer’s funding for treatments & care givers. Your advocacy makes a difference!

Enjoyed meeting with these students who came to advocate for funding for the student grant, which had a huge shortfall this year that resulted in many students losing financial aid they had already been awarded this year. Thank you for coming to the Capitol to discuss this important issue!

Please Contact Me

Many of you have already been in touch to discuss your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Please continue to contact me to discuss any matters to which I can be of assistance.

The best way to reach me is by email: rep.kristin.robbins@house.mn.gov. For occasional updates, you can follow my Facebook Page at @RepKristinRobbins. You can also leave a voicemail on my office number, 651-296-7806, which is checked every weekday while we are in session.

Of course, if you are coming to the Capitol, I’d love to meet you! Please reach out if you would like to set-up an in-person meeting. 

Have a great weekend!

Kristin

239 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.7806