E-update: Town Hall on Saturday with U.S. Rep. McCollum

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Dear Neighbors,

Happy start to your spring! The House recently observed a break for Eid Al-Fitr and will soon observe another break for Easter and Passover. If you celebrate any of these holidays, I wish you joy at this time of year.

The focus at this point in the legislative session is the two-year budget that will begin on July 1. Committees are hearing final individual bills this week, after which they will pass budget bills before the break. Below is more information on this process. But first, please plan to join me on Saturday for an important event.

Town Hall: Saturday at 1:00pm

It was inspiring to see so many Minnesotans at the Hands Off rallies this past weekend, protesting the ways in which President Trump and Elon Musk are undermining our rights, economy, privacy, public services and health, and the rule of law. To keep the momentum going, please join Congresswoman Betty McCollum, several legislative colleagues, and me for a special town hall this Saturday, April 12, at 1:00pm.

At the town hall, we’ll receive a presentation on how the federal government’s actions are hurting the people of Minnesota. This will also be an opportunity for constituents to voice their fears, frustrations, and ideas. I’m eager to listen to what you have to say and work together to stand up for our shared values. #EverybodyIn. To register and receive the event location, please click here. 

Budget Process Advances

The key work of this session is setting a state budget for the next two years starting on July 1. This is especially complicated this year. Actions at the federal level – from inflationary tariffs to the gutting of public programs and funding – are already impacting Minnesotans and our state budget.

In a tied Minnesota House of Representatives, we have to work together in order to get anything done. That includes the biggest priority of the legislative session – enacting a balanced two-year state budget. Just over a week ago, DFL and GOP leaders in the House announced an agreement on a budget framework. It slows expenditures in areas that are growing faster than the rate of inflation while making new investments in critical areas like education, housing, public safety, and pensions. This is a responsible approach that ensures budget stability now and into the future, helping to avoid dramatic cuts to essential services down the road. I look forward to working with Governor Walz and the Senate on a final budget agreement. 

As part of the process, committee chairs are crafting budget bills in their areas of responsibility. This includes the Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance & Policy Committee, which I co-chair with Rep. Dave Baker. On Friday night, Chair Baker and I appeared on Almanac to discuss this and other issues. You can click on the image below to watch the segment.

Protect Medicaid, Not Millionaires

President Trump and congressional Republicans are looking to subsidize tax cuts for the wealthy by reducing federal funding for Medicaid, the largest single source of health insurance in Minnesota, serving senior citizens, children, families, and people with disabilities. A report from Congress’s Joint Economic Committee found that their plans could cause nearly 400,000 Minnesotans - 130,000 of them children - to lose their health insurance. If the federal government does act in this way, our state will need to step in. My DFL colleagues and I recently introduced legislation that would raise taxes on millionaires at the level necessary to offset any cuts to this crucial program. 

Protecting Public Funds for Public Needs

This term, in addition to my chairing one committee, I also serve as the DFL lead on the House Fraud Prevention & State Agency Oversight Committee, a role which draws on my outside work as a prosecutor. Fraud against public programs harms all of us – not least the Minnesotans who rely on these services to improve their lives. I’m proud to partner with Governor Tim Walz in advancing an anti-fraud package that recently received its third committee hearing in the House.

Our package – which includes stronger detection and oversight, improved enforcement, and increased penalties – builds on years of progress in this area, with many reforms having passed last year under DFL majorities. I've linked here to an article and press release on the first two hearings.

Unfortunately, on a party-line roll call vote, Republicans on the State Government Finance & Policy Committee recently blocked the bill from advancing – with no substantive reason given. Democrats will keep fighting to ensure that public funds go to their intended needs and to address fraud in all forms, including those that exploit workers and consumers. Read my press release here.

Survey: Impact of Trump Cuts on Education 

The federal cuts and chaos cited above have now come for the U.S. Department of Education. The Trump administration is gutting the department as part of its plan to enact a sweeping tax cut for corporations and the ultra-wealthy. This will have dire consequences for kids in Minnesota.

In Minnesota, we know that investing in our kids is a priority. More than 860,000 students in Minnesota – including students in the St. Paul public schools – depend on stable partnerships that have existed between their school communities, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), and the federal department across administrations. For decades, the investments facilitated through those partnerships have played a key role in ensuring students in Minnesota receive the support they need to learn and thrive.

MDE has launched a public feedback portal for parents, students, teachers, and community members to submit detailed accounts of the ways recent federal executive orders and cuts are impacting schools and kids across our state. If any of these actions are impacting you and your family, please let us know!

Survey: Impacts of Tariffs on Small Business 

The tariffs announced this week by the Trump administration are already having a big impact on stock markets, and Minnesota small businesses are bracing for the impact as well. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is gathering information from affected businesses. If that includes your business, please complete the survey here; it takes just a few minutes. This will help the department to proactively plan for the state's future needs.

Pushing to Make Prescription Drugs More Affordable

Prescription drugs are critical to health, but their pricing is often exorbitant and unclear. Last year, the legislature expanded the Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act to provide greater transparency and better cost-management for prescription drugs. But we still have more to do in this area. My DFL colleagues and I are advocating for three bills in particular to protect patients, lower the cost of medication, and make drug pricing more transparent. Detail on them is in the graphic.

While none of these bills yet has Republican support, my DFL colleagues and I will keep trying – Minnesotans are depending on us.

This session has been moving fast. Please don't hesitate to reach out anytime. The best way to reach me is generally via email. You can also contact my legislative assistant, Carl, at carl.kaase@house.mn.gov or (651) 297-8387. 

Thank you for the honor of serving our community,

Legislative website: www.house.leg.state.mn.us/64b
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