Friends and neighbors, We’re entering crunch time here in St. Paul. The last day of session is May 19, just two weeks away, and there’s still a ton of work left to finish. This week, we passed a handful of bills off the floor and are slowly inching closer to completing our work. Other bills, such as education, have seen some setbacks, but I remain hopeful that issues with those bills will be resolved soon. Had we started session on time at the beginning of the year instead of waiting around for three weeks for Democrats to show up for work, we would have had time to negotiate these issues and come to a conclusion that both parties could agree to. The good news is that our Veterans Bill passed the floor on Tuesday. Normally, this would be one of the quicker bills we hear on the floor because thankfully, both parties agree that taking care of our state’s veterans should be a top priority. However, this year, the bill took nearly three hours to complete. The lengthy debate was sparked by an amendment to add language meant to eliminate claim sharks in veterans’ services providers. For some context on the issue, claim sharks are people who charge ridiculous fees to assist veterans with filing their Veterans Affairs benefits claims. These organizations are not VA-accredited and often give – either purposely or incidentally – false information to our veterans about their claims. Eliminating claim sharks is something that members of both parties can support. However, the amendment offered on the House Floor on Tuesday doesn’t just eliminate bad actor claim sharks; it would have eliminated all private claim options for our veterans, slowing down service and overwhelming county VA offices. We want our veterans to have options so they can get their benefits quicker and more efficiently. The amendment was voted down, but the issue remains something our committee is focused on. We are currently closing in on language that would remove bad actors while preserving private options for veterans. The goal is to have that ready to be adopted in conference committee, where the differences between our bill and the Senate bill will be ironed out. After that debate, the bill moved smoothly and passed with overwhelming support, 126-6. Overall, the bill focuses its efforts on ending veteran suicide, a problem that has continued to grow in Minnesota. On average, we lose 100 veterans a year to suicide, and that number has increased by 11.6% from 2022-23. The bill also ensures National Guard members receive a small pension contribution when called to active state duty, just as they would if called to federal active duty. Further, it takes steps to recognize the contributions of Special Guerrilla Units (SGUs) who supported US operations in Vietnam. Finally, the bill provides funding to veteran long-term care facilities, which were authorized in 2017 but faced staffing delays due to certification requirements that have since been resolved. With a looming $6 billion deficit and tight budget constraints, I’m proud of the work we did to make every dollar count. It’s a reflection of our commitment to our heroes, whether they’re actively serving, transitioning to civilian life, or enjoying their well-earned retirement. Looking AheadMost bills have been finalized after agreements have been reached between Republicans and Democrats on the respective committees. If it hasn’t passed yet, it will be on the docket soon, likely sometime next week. There are, however, some bills that have still not reached an agreement. Hopefully, those will be resolved soon. Bills that passed this week - Higher Education Finance Bill
- Transportation Finance Bill
- Housing Budget Bill
- Veterans Budget Bill
- Commerce Policy Bill
- Housing Policy Bill
- State Government Budget Bill
- State Government Policy Bill
- Local Government Policy Bill
Bills still being worked on - Workforce & Labor
- Health
- Education
- Energy
Have a great weekend, |