Legislative Update – April 11, 2025
Dear neighbors,
This week marked the end of our “committee deadlines,” meaning the deadline by which most major budget bills must be passed out of their committees to advance to votes on the House Floor.
Next week, House offices will be closed to the public for our Passover/Easter recess. Once legislators return from break, we will begin hearing budget bills on the House Floor for full votes, and then we will enter negotiations with the Senate and the Governor on our final budget bills.
I’ve been fighting for legislation to help our district and local communities thrive, as well as bills protecting our environment, defending the gains we made the past two years, and addressing the chaos and cuts coming down from Washington D.C. I’ll continue to keep you updated on the status of bills I’ve authored this session.
Council of State Governments
This week, I was appointed to serve on the Council of State Governments (CSG) National Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. CSG is a national nonpartisan organization that brings state legislators together to exchange ideas on how to solve the issues we all face.
Minnesota has been a national leader in protecting our constituents’ rights, health, and environment, and I will bring that experience with me to these national conversations.
I was proud to be joined by Laura Tanaka from the CSG Midwest Office as she met with legislators and attended committee hearings to learn more about how we’re working together to pass a strong budget in Minnesota.
Other News and Updates
I was quoted in a recent Axios story about industry pushback to a bill we passed banning toxic metals like lead and cadmium, some of which are used in key making. As parents know, kids put these keys in their mouths, and we must ensure we’re doing everything we can to protect children from these toxic metals while they are in their most vulnerable developmental stages.
The Pioneer Press reported on federal cuts to the USDA and the US Forest Service that will impact our ability to treat invasive spongy moths in Minnesota. Let’s be clear: these cuts don’t save money because problems like invasive species only get more expensive the longer they go unaddressed. Here at the legislature, I’m fighting back against State Republicans’ similar attempts to cut this important environmental funding.
Stay in Touch!
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and feedback throughout the year. You can reach me by email at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-6828.
For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these regular legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative