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Good afternoon,
We concluded the 2025 legislative session late last night, adjourning just before midnight. We ran short on time, largely due to the Democrat's 23-day boycott, which means that we are tying up loose ends in negotiations so that we can pass outstanding bills in a short special session.
Prior to adjournment, we were able to pass the following bills which are waiting for signature from the Governor:
- Agriculture
- Will help combat infectious diseases in livestock and support the state’s agriculture industry overall.
- Provides critical relief for Minnesota’s dairy industry, which has seen a 40-percent decline in the number of farms over the past seven years.
- Housing
- Focused investment on building housing stock to address the 100,000 housing unit shortage.
- Increased funding for affordable housing programs to assist families state-wide.
- Targeted grants to develop and maintain essential housing infrastructure in underserved areas and increase diversity of housing supply.
- Continued support of programming that is that to educate, support, and help people in all stages of homeownership.
- Legacy
- Requiring all Arts & Cultural Heritage (ACH) grantees to submit their most recent IRS Form 990, adding a new layer of transparency and accountability.
- Limiting earmarks and shifting dollars to a competitive, merit‑based grant process that prioritizes need and measurable impact.
- Prohibiting ACH funds from being used for costly capital construction projects, ensuring resources go to community programs, not brick and mortar.
- Public Safety & Judiciary
- Support law enforcement, improve public safety, and enact tough-on-crime reforms.
- Mandatory minimum sentences for sex traffickers.
- Consecutive sentences for those who assault county correctional deputies.
- Increased penalties for assaulting firefighters and EMS workers.
- Accountability for adults when a child comes into contact with fentanyl.
- A halt to the early release of offenders from Stillwater prison, as part of the phased closure plan.
- State Government
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Two new positions were funded in the Office of the Legislative Auditor, which now has greater authority to report on how agencies implement recommendations.
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Proposed budget increases for the Attorney General and Secretary of State were significantly reduced—cutting millions from the original requests and reining in bloated government spending.
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Veterans
- Provides meaningful help to our veterans by expanding mental health services, funding veterans' homes, and more.
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Human Services Policy
- Improved behavioral health and substance use supports, with a focus on access and continuity of care.
- Strengthened oversight and structure through clarified duties for the Commissioner of Human Services and the newly created Direct Care and Treatment Executive Board, which will guide key areas like day services, residential supports, and case management.
- Streamlined licensing and review processes for care facilities and service providers to enhance safety and quality.
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Policy changes related to civil commitment procedures and data privacy that improve coordination while safeguarding individual rights.
The bills that still need to be passed are listed below:
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As we continue to negotiate on the rest of the bills, we are standing strong on our core pillars such as: making Minnesota more affordable, stopping the fraud, using MN tax dollars for Minnesotans, and making Minnesota safer. I look forward to sharing further updates as our work progresses. The details of our special session have yet to be determined. |
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Please Contact Me
If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-3201 or rep.mary.franson@house.mn.gov I would love to hear from you.
It’s an honor to represent the best!
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