Legislative Update – May 23, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
Last night the 2023 Legislative Session came to a close as we successfully passed the final versions of our budget bills and other priorities. Alongside our DFL Senators, we are ending the gridlock and delivering on the promises we made to Minnesotans. You can read more about our final bills using our nonpartisan Session Daily stories: Veterans and Military Affairs, Housing, Higher Education, Legacy, Agriculture, Early Education, Public Safety and Judiciary, K-12 Education, Jobs and Labor, Environment and Energy, Commerce, State Government and Elections, Human Services, Taxes, Transportation, Health, Capital Investment, Cannabis, and Paid Family and Medical Leave.
Over the weekend we passed our Taxes bill—which focuses on helping our neighbors who are struggling the most. Collectively, the bill delivers the largest tax cut in state history with credits, rebates, and other provisions designed to maximize benefits for workers, families, and seniors. These critically needed provisions are paid for through new revenue from measures that target the wealthiest corporations and individuals in the state. I’m especially glad the bill includes:
- Full Social Security state income exemption for those earning less than $100,000 annually (married/joint) or $78,000 (single/head of household), phasing out at $118,000 for single filers and 140,000 for joint filers.
- A new and simplified Child & Working Family Tax Credit of up to $1,750 per child which will impact more than one million families and reduce child poverty by one-third.
- It also addresses years of rising property taxes and underinvestment in local communities by providing millions of dollars in property tax cuts and direct assistance to local communities.
Final Environment and Climate Budget Passes!
On May 18, the House approved the conference committee report for H.F. 2310, the 2023 Environment, Natural Resources, Climate, and Energy Budget Bill, on a bipartisan vote of 72-57!
This is the most significant climate change prevention legislation in state history! The climate and energy provisions invest in programs to lower energy costs, create more clean energy jobs, and address and combat climate change. Minnesota is one of the fastest-warming states due to climate change, and this bill puts Minnesota on the path to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
I was honored to serve as Climate and Energy Chair this session and proud of all we accomplished. Minnesotans know we must take action to address and combat climate change, which is what this bill does. We took this opportunity to make a real difference by partnering with the federal government to lower energy costs, expand renewable energy, and ensure all Minnesotans can benefit from our clean energy transition.
K-12 Education Budget
Our K-12 Education Budget Bill has passed and is on its way to the Governor’s desk! This bill supports our students and school staff as well as stabilizes our public school funding. It provides a 4% per-pupil increase in the general education formula in 2024 and a 2% increase in 2025 and links the formula for inflation. In addition to the stability provided by linking the formula to inflation, this budget bill also reduces the Special Education and English Learner cross-subsidies.
I am proud the report contains two bills that I authorized. One provides all schools with naloxone to ensure we are addressing the opioid epidemic and the other is putting more resources toward the Math Corps program to help our students do better in math!
Earlier this month I was honored to join Rep. Dean Phillips, State Senator Kelly Morrison, Colleen and Tucker from Change the Outcome, and other advocates as Rep. Phillips presented his School Access to Naloxone Act. I am proud that we got this bill over the finish line here at the Capitol to ensure every school is stocked with and trained to use this life-saving drug to prevent overdoses in our communities.
Gun Violence Prevention Measures Pass!
In response to increasing gun violence, now the leading cause of death for children in the U.S., our Public Safety and Judiciary Budget bill includes several violence prevention measures, which Governor Walz has already signed into law!
Our bill implements criminal background checks to keep guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them. It also includes a red flag law, creating an effective tool to prevent those likely to cause harm from doing so. Lastly, it makes historic investments in gun violence prevention research grants to determine the next best steps to end gun violence. Thank you to all the advocates who have worked on this issue for years—including some visitors from SD45 that came to watch the House debate!
Staying in touch
Please reach out if you have any questions or feedback you would like to share. You can contact me by email at rep.patty.acomb@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-9934.
Sincerely,
Patty Acomb
State Representative