Dear Neighbors,
As we all await warmer and sunnier days, the House has been hard at work as the end of session is just around the corner. We recently came to a bipartisan agreement on spending targets and are wrapping up bill hearings as we work to set our budget. Here is an update from the Capitol.
Legislative Activity
Over the last couple of weeks, my bipartisan bills have been heard in committee. I have presented bills on the following topics, including: due process for family child care providers, an ombudsperson for Homeowner Associations, streamlined investigations for military sexual assaults, grant funding for victim services, school safety, and a bonding request for Arden Hills to complete the trail on Old Highway 10, connecting Highway 96 to Lake Valentine Road.
The bill creating an ombudsperson for HOAs was a result of constituents reaching out with questions about their HOAs and concerns about the actions of their HOA management companies. Homeowners have no place to turn for help as there is no agency oversight over HOAs. Last year, the Legislature created a Working Group on Common Interest Communities and Homeowners Associations; one of the 41 recommendations that emerged from this bipartisan group was to establish an Ombudsperson that will help both homeowners and HOAs. The Ombudsperson will assist homeowners and associations understand their rights and will facilitate dispute resolution between owners and HOAs. As the budget gets worked out in the upcoming weeks, I hope this bill can make it across the finish line. It is one of three bipartisan bills I’ve authored that is based on constituent outreach.
Meeting with Constituents
Constituent meetings continue to happen with frequency as many community members come to the Capitol for their “day on the hill.” I love hearing about the issues that are important to you when you visit for these events. There have been too many meetings to list here, but they have included school board members and school staff, advocates for people with disabilities, many different union members, Isaiah members, college students, child care providers, and more. Below is a photograph with a current high school student and a recent graduate who shadowed me for the day. It is thrilling when young people want to engage in policy!
Trump Continues to Harm Minnesotans
Recently the House Ways and Means Committee took a deeper dive into how federal action is hurting the state budget. The State of Minnesota receives 687 federal awards, totaling $23.3 billion, comprising roughly one-third of Minnesota’s resources. Since late January, dozens of state awards have been disrupted, resulting in the inability to access federal funding. These actions from Trump and Musk are destroying the basic systems that support Minnesotans across the state. Read more on this here.
Small Business Impact Survey
Amid additional federal tariffs taking effect, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is gathering information from affected small businesses in Minnesota.
In this period of uncertainty, there may be a lag in data, so this survey is a way for our local business owners to communicate directly with the department now. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete. By collaborating with Minnesota's locally owned small businesses, which face significant challenges, we can proactively plan for the state's future needs.
Protect Medicaid, Not Millionaires
While President Trump and Congressional Republicans look to subsidize tax cuts for the wealthy by reducing federal funding for Medicaid, DFL legislators introduced legislation that would raise taxes on millionaires at the level necessary to offset any cuts to this crucial program. Medicaid is the largest single source of health insurance in Minnesota, serving senior citizens, children, families, and people with disabilities.
A report from Congress’s Joint Economic Committee found that if Republicans in Congress pass their proposed budget and cut Medicaid, Minnesota could see 89,000 rural residents lose their health coverage,130,000 children lose their health insurance, more than 1 in 6 seniors lose their nursing home care and, in total, nearly 400,000 people cut off from their health insurance. If these callous cuts go through without additional revenue raised by Minnesota, it will have a direct and immediate negative effect on health in Minnesota, costing lives and doing harm.
Stay In Touch
Please feel free to contact me directly with your viewpoints or if I can be of assistance. My email is rep.kelly.moller@house.mn.gov and my phone number is 651-296-0141.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
Sincerely,
Kelly Moller
State Representative