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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It has been a busy week and a half, and I will get into the details, but I first want to acknowledge the devastating impact of the fires in Northern Minnesota. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who are affected. Thank you to the emergency responders who have been on the ground battling the fires for over a week now. I am grateful for the progress that has been made towards containing the fires. The Range delegation is continuing to monitor the situation, especially as some of our districts are more greatly affected, and please reach out if there is anything that we can do for you.
General Update
The 2025 legislative session officially adjourned Monday just before midnight, but we have not finished all our work yet. For the bills that have not been wrapped up, negotiations will continue, and we expect to return for a brief special session in the coming days/weeks.
Since my last update, we’ve made solid progress. Last Thursday, the House, Senate, and Governor Walz agreed on budget targets. From that point until adjournment on Monday, we met daily to move key bills forward and wrap up the session.
One major win was passing the Housing bill off the House floor and sending it to the Governor. We kept our core priorities in place: affordability, diversity, and stability in the housing market. This bill moves us in the right direction and lays the groundwork for more progress in 2026.
The Housing bill makes focused, strategic investments to tackle Minnesota’s ongoing housing crisis. It prioritizes increasing the state’s housing supply by funding the construction of new units, aimed at closing the estimated 100,000-unit shortfall. Targeted grants will support essential housing infrastructure in underserved areas, helping to expand the diversity of housing options available across the state. The bill also strengthens programs that assist Minnesotans at every stage of homeownership, from first-time buyers to long-term residents, ensuring people have the tools and support they need to succeed.
Our approach was grounded in three core principles: affordability, diversity, and stability. We know that stable housing leads to stable communities, and this legislation is a step toward that goal. However, there is still more work ahead. Moving forward, I’ll be focused on reforming zoning regulations that continue to limit progress. The housing crisis won’t resolve itself, but with continued action, we can keep building solutions that last.
Here are the main highlights of the other six bills we already passed:
Agriculture
- Helps combat infectious diseases in livestock and strengthens Minnesota’s agriculture industry.
- Delivers targeted relief to the state’s dairy sector, which has lost 40 percent of its farms over the past seven years.
Legacy
- Increases transparency by requiring all Arts & Cultural Heritage (ACH) grantees to submit their most recent IRS Form 990.
- Shifts more funding to a competitive, merit-based grant process that emphasizes need and measurable outcomes.
- Prohibits ACH funds from being used for major capital construction, keeping resources focused on programs that serve communities directly.
Public Safety & Judiciary
- Supports law enforcement and advances tough-on-crime reforms to improve public safety.
- Establishes mandatory minimum sentences for sex traffickers.
- Adds consecutive sentences for those who assault county correctional deputies.
- Increases penalties for assaults on firefighters and EMS workers.
- Holds adults accountable when a child is exposed to fentanyl.
- Stops early releases from Stillwater prison under the phased closure plan.
State Government
- Funds two new roles in the Office of the Legislative Auditor, expanding oversight and ensuring agencies follow through on recommendations.
- Reduces proposed budget increases for the Attorney General and Secretary of State, cutting millions from original requests and reining in unnecessary government spending.
Veterans
- Expands mental health services, supports veterans’ homes, and delivers meaningful help to those who have served.
Human Services Policy
- Improves access and continuity of care in behavioral health and substance use support systems.
- Clarifies the roles of the Commissioner of Human Services and empowers the new Direct Care and Treatment Executive Board to guide critical service areas like day programs, residential care, and case management.
- Streamlines licensing and review for care providers to improve safety and quality.
- Updates civil commitment and data privacy policies to enhance coordination while protecting individual rights.
A few bills are still outstanding, which means we will need a special session to finish the work. The checklist below outlines all of the bills and their status in the process. Our committee “work groups” have been meeting since adjournment, and once all of our bills are ironed out, the special session will take place so that we can pass the final versions. While the exact timing of this special session is unclear, we anticipate it will be in the next week or so. I’ll keep you informed as we move ahead.
Continuing the Fight for Miners
Over the past few months, we’ve been working hard to extend unemployment benefits for miners on the Iron Range who were laid off by Cleveland-Cliffs. These workers and their families deserve support and clarity, and I’ve been committed to making sure they receive it.
In the final hours of this session, we brought forward a motion to suspend the rules and take up the UI extension bill. That motion passed, and the House moved quickly to pass the legislation as a standalone bill. This action sent a clear message that supporting our miners is a top priority.
Although the Senate did not act before adjournment, I am confident the upcoming special session will include this provision in one of their finance bills. It has strong bipartisan support in both chambers, and I fully expect it to move forward. In order to become law, the bill will need a final signature from Governor Walz, which I expect to happen after its Senate passage.
Passing this bill in the House was a meaningful step for our mining communities. But it is only the beginning. We must also take on the permitting issues that continue to create challenges for the industry. Addressing underlying issues such as this will foster greater stability and minimize the likelihood of needing short-term fixes like these in the future. I am committed to advancing solutions that bring lasting stability and support to the Iron Range.
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