Dear friends and neighbors, 

Monday marked the official end of the 2025 legislative session, and unfortunately, there is a great deal of business left undone, necessitating a special session which Governor Walz will have to call in the days or weeks ahead. The state budget needs to be passed and signed into law by July 1st. 

In the middle of last week, legislative leaders and Governor Walz reached an agreement on a budget framework that set conference committees into motion between the House and Senate, crafting the rest of the details. Since that time, several major budget bills have been passed before Monday’s deadline, including agriculture, housing, legacy, public safety and judiciary, state government, veterans, and human services policy. However, about 2/3 of the budget remains outstanding as negotiations continue.  

I expect a short special session, possibly just a couple of days, once agreements are finalized. The earliest it could be called is Thursday, but it all depends on how negotiations go. 

Historic Wins for Minnesotans 

Despite the pending special session, the budget framework agreement remains in place. This budget includes the largest cut to government spending in Minnesota history. This agreement eliminates nearly half of the future budget deficit Democrats created after growing government by 40% and hiking taxes by $10 billion just two years ago. Most importantly: this agreement includes NO new taxes on Minnesota families. 

Here are the key wins Republicans secured for the people of Minnesota: 

• We added key protections in law to stop the nation-leading fraud we have seen in Minnesota. 

• We protected non-public education aid—preserving critical funding for religious, charter, and homeschool students. 

• This budget agreement, in conjunction with President Trump and Congressional Republicans, will eliminate taxpayer funded health insurance to illegal immigrants.  

• We saved taxpayers hundreds of millions by stopping the Northern Lights Express, a costly proposed train line to Duluth. 

• We modernized outdated social services technology to save counties money and improve service delivery. 

This agreement represents a compromise, meaning no one is getting everything that they want, and that’s certainly true from my perspective. It's why there are bills that I support, and bills I oppose in this budget agreement. My priorities remain the same: Making Minnesota more affordable, stopping the fraud, and ensuring we put Minnesotans first.  

Democrats Block Inspector General Bill 

Despite overwhelming bipartisan support, including a 60–7 vote in the Senate and a public promise from the governor to sign it, House Democrats refused to support the bill to create an office of the Independent Inspector General on the final night of session. After months of work, dozens of hearings, and repeated cases of fraud costing taxpayers nearly a billion dollars, Democrats chose politics over accountability. This bill would give the state real tools to detect, investigate, and stop fraud in its tracks. Minnesotans deserve better, and I’ll keep fighting to get this done as we move forward.  

Expanding Broadband Access 

Before the end of session, the House unanimously passed, and the Governor signed, my bill, SF 908, to accelerate broadband installation across Minnesota by streamlining training timelines and removing duplicative regulations. These common-sense changes will reduce costs and help connect more communities faster while benefitting small businesses, workers, schools, and communities. I’m proud that this bill passed 134-0 and is my first bill to be signed into law.