Dear friends, Last week, the House lawfully organized and got underway after my GOP colleagues accepted our offer, which had been on the table since January. Now that the House has officially convened, committees have started work. This biennium I will be serving on the House Ways and Means, Commerce, and Taxes Committees. When the House returns to a tie, I will serve as DFL Chair of the Ways and Means Committee. I will continue working alongside Minnesotans to build a future where everyone in Coon Rapids and Anoka can get ahead. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working hard in our district, and I’m excited to bring that work back to the State Capitol.  The key task at hand for legislators is balancing a state budget for the next two years that doesn’t roll back progress for working families, seniors, people with disabilities, students, and more. We’re also facing the direct effects of federal funding freezes and impending tariffs. These federal actions immediately jeopardize state initiatives that provide critical health and child care services to families in need, deliver support to public schools, combat hate crimes and violence against women, provide life-saving disaster relief, and more. Our next state budget forecast will come out on March 6. Legislators will use this forecast to build the state budget. The last forecast in November showed that Minnesota had a projected surplus of $600 million. While we don’t know what the updated forecast will show, there are reasons for concern. The state’s macroeconomic forecasters are projecting that federal policy will cause slower GDP growth and higher inflation in the next few years. National economic indicators corroborate those projections. Slower GDP growth will result in less tax revenue for Minnesota, and higher inflation will increase costs. The combination could reduce the projected surplus or perhaps even push the state into a deficit. Social Media Warning LabelsI continue to meet with residents in our community in our area and at the Capitol, like my meeting with the Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) to discuss their Keep it Digitally Safe (KiDS) Campaign, a global contest inviting parents and kids to submit social media warning label ideas to raise awareness about the risks associated with social media and promote safer online practices. The evidence is clear that social media is linked with poor mental health outcomes, particularly among children. Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General called for social media platforms to have warning labels. Later this year I will introduce legislation requiring such labels on social media in Minnesota. This will build upon legislation I successfully passed last year requiring social media companies to disclose when they conduct product experiments targeting kids, as well as my bill that barred children from working as social media influencers. You can learn more about the KiDS campaign here. Keep in TouchPlease 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 |