Dear Neighbors,
Here at the Capitol, committees have wrapped up and we are putting together major budget bills to pass on the House Floor. From the House to the Senate, to the Governor’s office, we are looking towards our future through historic investments in education, health care, transportation, climate, and more! As Chair of the Commerce Committee, we are preparing our bill for a floor vote soon.
As these budget bills pass, I will keep you updated on the great work we are doing to make Minnesota a better state for us all to live in!
Here’s an update from Saint Paul.
Governor Walz’s State of the State Address
Wednesday night, Governor Walz delivered the State of the State address from the House Floor. Now that we’re 100 days into Walz’s second term, we can look back and see all of the great things we’ve done for Minnesotans together.
It’s no coincidence that we are making immense progress this session. I’ve said it before, when I was talking to voters last Fall, there was one thing that everyone agreed on: the gridlock at the Capitol needed to stop. People want their legislators to get stuff done, and that is exactly what we’re doing.
You can view the full address here.
House Passes Education Budget
All Minnesota students deserve a world-class education, but the state of Minnesota has chronically underfunded our schools for twenty years. In fact, if you adjust for inflation, state education funding is less today than it was when I graduated from Coon Rapids High School in 2002. That’s why I was proud to vote for an education budget that makes historic investments in our schools. The bill will lower class sizes and give teachers the tools they need to help our students succeed. For Anoka-Hennepin School District, the bill will result in nearly $80,000,000 in new funding (that’s $2,000 per student!) over the next two years. The bill also links the formula to inflation in all future years to help school districts have more predictability in their financial outlooks. This new funding will also help keep local property taxes down.
Also included is worker unemployment protection for hourly schoolworkers, because Minnesotans who care for, feed, educate, and transport our students should not be excluded from unemployment benefits that other Minnesota workers receive.
House Passes Housing Budget
Every Minnesotan deserves a safe and affordable place they can call home. With evictions skyrocketing, homelessness increasing, home ownership gaps widening, and a severe shortage of affordable homes to rent or own, it is time for bold action. This week the House passed the largest housing investment in state history to finally address this crisis. We’re prioritizing a First Generation Down Payment Assistance initiative to create more than 4,000 new first-generation homeowner, and producing more than 1,000 units of affordable rental housing and 1,000 units of affordable homes
Other Floor Action
The Minnesota House also passed several more budget bills off the floor this week, including the Environment and Climate budget, the Veterans budget, the State Government and Elections budget, the Transportation budget, and the Agriculture budget. To say we’ve been busy is an understatement!
Keep in Touch
Please continue to reach out anytime if you need assistance or have questions at rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn.gov or 651-296-5513.
It’s an honor to represent our Coon Rapids and Anoka families in St. Paul.
Sincerely,
Rep. Zack Stephenson
Minnesota House of Representatives