Dear Neighbors, House leaders announced an agreement recently on committee finance targets for crafting a state budget for the next two years. This House agreement calls for almost $1.16 billion in funding reductions to the General Fund. The work before us now is crafting a bipartisan budget framework balancing the Senate budget targets and the governor’s budget recommendations, which all have significant differences from the House. Given the current economic forecast indicating a future state deficit, we must remain cautious given the impacts of federal tariffs, combined with an uncertain stock market, and other federal cuts impacting services in Minnesota. A balanced budget approach is essential to safeguard critical services for Minnesotans, particularly those relying on Medicaid.  How Will Federal Education Cuts Impact You? Sadly, we no longer have a serious partner in the White House when it comes to building a world-class education system for our students. President Trump recently advanced reckless plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. In response, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) launched a public feedback portal at education.mn.gov for parents, students, teachers, and community members to submit detailed accounts of the ways recent Executive Orders and abrupt federal education cuts are impacting schools and children across our state. More than 860,000 students in Minnesota depend on stable partnerships that have existed between their school communities, MDE and the U.S. Department of Education across administrations. For decades, the federal investments facilitated through those partnerships have played a key role in ensuring students in Minnesota receive the support they need to learn and thrive, including: - $256 million for students with disabilities
- $192 million for students from low-income backgrounds
- $27 million for academic enrichment
- $6 million for students in rural schools
- $38 million to support children living on military bases or Native American reservations
- $100 million for Career and Technical Education workforce development programs
If any of these cuts impact you and your family, please let us know! Fraud Prevention Resources Text, email, and social media scams are becoming more sophisticated and more prevalent. If you’re like me, you probably have gotten some of these scam texts that say you need to pay a toll or confirm a payment- it's important to be skeptical of such texts. Those E-Z Pass texts are scams, and MnDOT has issued a fraud warning here with resources in case you accidentally click a link. I want to share some helpful resources with you all on how to spot and avoid scams, and where you can go for help if you or someone you know falls victim to these fraudsters. Remember that it’s important to break down the stigma of embarrassment and report any cases so law enforcement can take any actions possible to try to recover funds or stop future scams. Attorney General Keith Ellison has some resources on How to Spot a Scam with helpful examples and a list of common scams. If you have concerns about a particular offer or believe you are the victim of a scam, the Attorney General wants to hear from you. You may call (651) 296-3353 (Twin Cities Calling Area) or (800) 657-3787 (Outside the Twin Cities) or submit a Consumer Assistance Request Form.  Meanwhile, here at the Legislature, we are working on bills to support the Attorney General’s work cracking down on fraud in the public and private sectors. Some proposals include stiffer penalties on Medicaid fraudsters, a fraud investigation unit within the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, fighting against employer misclassification fraud, and protecting veterans from claim sharks that seek to profit off the benefits they earned in service to our country. Empowering Small Communities ProgramIn 2023, the legislature appropriated $2.5M in one-time funding to the University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies to administer the Empowering Small Communities Program. This program helps cities of under 15,000 residents design sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects, and works to help small cities develop strong grant applications for state and federal funding. We cannot maximize federal investments in Minnesota without helping smaller communities increase their chances of securing grants for their infrastructure needs, that’s why I introduced legislation permanently establishing the existing Empowering Small Communities Program into law. This bipartisan bill will help our small cities design smarter projects and develop stronger requests for federal funding.  You’re Invited to a Town Hall!On Saturday, April 12th from 2:00 to 3:00pm, I’ll be joining my District 39 and 60 colleagues for a town hall at St. Anthony Village High School. No RSVP is needed; I’m excited to discuss our top issues this session and hope to see you there!  Real ID Taking Effect in MayBeginning May 7, 2025, Minnesotans 18 years of age or older will not be able to use their standard driver's license or identification card to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities. Instead, they will need one of three options: - Minnesota REAL ID driver's license or identification card.
- Minnesota Enhanced driver's license or identification card.
- Other federally-approved forms of identification. They are listed online here, but include:
- U.S. passport or passport card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
- U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
If you are not sure which license type is right for you, check out the Driver Vehicle Services’ website here. Keep in TouchYou can contact me at rep.erin.koegel@house.mn.gov or (651) 296-5369. You can follow me on Facebook as well. I appreciate the opportunity to serve our district in the legislature and look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Erin Koegel State Representative |