Legislative Update from Rep. Nathan Coulter

Friends and neighbors, 

Sending well wishes to all who celebrated Easter or Passover recently, whether that meant family gatherings, traditional meals, or just enjoying some downtime. I know my family appreciated having a few extra days together for our legislative break amid the usual chaos of session.  

Now that we’re back from our legislative break, we’re officially in the final stretch. From here, our main focus is finalizing and passing budget bills in conference committee with the Senate. This means bringing together different versions from the House and Senate to create something that works for everyone, which is no small task. The Children and Families Committee passed a budget bill our of committee that includes things like expanding Early Learning Scholarships, modernizing digital infrastructure used to manage child welfare cases, support for kinship caregivers, a $1.5 million investment in food stability for kids and families who need it, and more. Parts of my child care licensing bill made it in as well. While there are some GOP cuts in this bill (and other committee budgets) that I am not a fan of, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to fix some of them in conference committee. Regardless, I’m confident we’ll pass a budget that keeps the lights on and programs families depend on running. 

Though we had to make compromises with the GOP, DFLers achieved a huge victory in the Higher Education Committee by completely protecting the North Star Promise. This law, which provides free college tuition to Minnesota students who need it most, has made a massive difference for so many families as young adults pursue higher education. Keeping the program intact was hard fought, and I’m proud to say that we prevailed.  

While our victories are more modest than those of the last legislative term, DFLers have successfully blocked a lot of bad Republican-sponsored legislation from becoming law. Despite carrying a Minnesota-Nice facade, House Republicans have still tried to follow in the footsteps of the Trump/Musk Administration by bringing bad policies to Minnesota. I took a moment to talk about and specifically demonstrate some of these attempts on camera, which you can watch here.  

Working for Bloomington

During our legislative break, there was plenty of events and community connection for me to participate in right here in Bloomington. I attended the first ever Bloomington Public Schools State of the Schools, where Superintendent Melbye spoke about the incredible things happening in the district to create an inclusive environment that fosters learning, prepare our kids for life after high school, and ensure access to resources are equitable. The audience was even treated to a musical performance by some very talented students! I am always proud to be a parent in, and product of, our Bloomington schools. 

I also caught a roundtable discussion at Martin Luther Campus on Medicaid with Governor Tim Walz and Rep. Kelly Morrison. I deeply appreciate the Governor and our Congresswoman sounding the alarm and imploring Republicans not to go forward with these devastating cuts. Minnesotans’ lives are not a game, and the care that folks at Martin Luther receive - like my grandparents did when they lived their final years there - matters. 

Minnesota Making Progress on Clean Energy

In 2023 and 2024, DFLers made generational investments in a cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient energy system, putting Minnesota on the path to 100% Carbon-Free Energy by 2040.  

The latest Minnesota Energy Factsheet shows our policies are working and our investments are paying off, creating high-paying clean energy jobs, lowering costs for families, and building a greener future: 

  ? A new record low in carbon emissions, cutting another 4% between 2023 and 2024. 

  ? Residents and businesses saved more than $307 million in energy costs from the Energy Conservation Optimization (ECO) Act. 

  ? Minnesota is ranked No. 1 in Midwest for overall energy efficiency, and No. 10 nationwide! 

Here at the Capitol, I’m dedicated to protecting our progress from those who are seeking to repeal the legislation that made this positive change possible. 

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 at (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. 

Support Public Media

The Trump/Musk Administration has proposed $1.1 billion of cuts to Public Broadcasting, which supports public media like NPR/MPR and PBS. These non-partisan media organizations are vital to ensuring access to information for all Americans, and cutting these would be detrimental to us all. MPR has put together a petition to deliver to congress urging them to not support this cut, which you can add your name to here. You can also use this tool to find your federal representatives and call them to show your support for public media before the proposal head to congress!

Stay Connected

Unfortunately, due to technological restraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach me. To stay up to date with our important work at the State Capitol, you can see the Minnesota House of Public Information Services’ nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. 

You can also stay up-to-date with the latest by following my Facebook page. 

To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out at rep.nathan.coulter@house.mn.gov or 651-296-4218, and I will be happy to help. If you were forwarded this email and you’d like to subscribe, click here. If you have a friend or neighbor who would be interested in receiving these, please forward this and encourage them to subscribe. 

Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving you.   

Rep. Nathan Coulter