Legislative Update - July 22, 2021

Dear neighbors, 

I’m happy to share that the Minnesota House of Representatives recently finished passing a new state budget! The final budget, which is made up of several bills, is a compromise legislators from the House and Senate reached after several weeks of negotiations and months of hard work with Minnesotans. While it doesn’t include all of the things my colleagues and I advocated for, this bipartisan budget is a significant step forward.  

It’s been a difficult year for many Minnesotans. COVID-19 created challenges for many of us and our families, and it exacerbated the inequalities in our state. My colleagues and I knew some folks will need additional tools and support in order to recover from the pandemic and thrive in the future. We worked hard to deliver:  

• The largest investment in public schools that our state has made in 15 years 


• Financial support for frontline workers who risked their own health to keep the rest of us safe and healthy during the pandemic 

• Funding to expand the supply of affordable child care throughout Minnesota 


• Rental assistance for tenants and landlords 


• Funds to improve public health and reduce racial inequalities  


• Tax cuts for workers and small businesses impacted by the pandemic 


• Funds to maintain and improve our roads, bridges, public transportation, and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure  

• Measures that will improve public health and reduce racial inequalities 


• Reforms to Minnesota’s sexual assault laws that will help survivors get justice  


• Several police accountability measures  


• A pay raise for personal care attendants and additional support for home- and community-based services to help people live independently 

Investing in Minnesota 

I served as chair of the Legacy Committee again this session, and I think we put together a great bill. Our final legislation, which passed with bipartisan support, invests in preserving and enhancing Minnesota’s great outdoors, clean water, parks and trails, and arts and culture. It’s got funding to restore our prairies and wetlands, protect our lakes and rivers, monitor drinking water quality, maintain parks, support artists, and more!  

More Information  

If you’d like more information about the new budget, the nonpartisan articles written by House Public Information Services are a great place to start. You can click on the following links to read about each part of the budget: Legacy; Agriculture and Broadband; Higher Education; Commerce, Climate, and Energy; Transportation; Housing; Environment and Natural Resources; Jobs and Labor; E-12 Education; Health and Human Services; Public Safety and Judiciary; State Government, Elections, and Veterans; and Taxes. 

If you have any questions, ideas, or feedback, please don’t hesitate to email me at rep.leon.lillie@house.mn or give me a call at (651) 296-1188.  

Have a safe and enjoyable summer! 

Sincerely,  

Leon Lillie 

State Representative