Legislative Update – May 16, 2025
Dear Neighbors,
This week, Governor Walz and leadership from both parties in the House and Senate announced a budget framework for the end of the legislative session. Minnesotans expect their elected leaders to work together, especially in times of divided government. By negotiating a bipartisan budget deal to conclude the work of the Legislature, Democrats and Republicans are demonstrating that governing is still possible even when we have major disagreements.
Now that this global budget agreement is in place, legislators are working in conference committees with the Senate and the Governor’s team to put together the final versions of our budget bills to be passed on the House Floor. That work will take place over the weekend and up to our May 19 adjournment deadline.
I want to be clear: this budget deal doesn’t include everything we wanted, but it does deliver on our commitment to protect the vast majority of the progress we made in 2023 and 2024 to help Minnesota families better afford their lives.
We protected attempts to roll back Universal Free School Meals, reproductive freedom, investments in our schools, earned sick and safe time, the North Star Promise in higher education, bans on PFAS forever chemicals, and gun violence prevention measures.
In order to pass a state budget and keep Minnesota moving, Democrats had to accept compromises and take bad policy that many of us oppose to avoid a potential government shutdown. In these last few days of the legislative session, I will be working to ensure our state budget protects our progress, responsibly balances the budget, and improves the lives of Minnesotans in our district.
Energy Budget Update
As Co-Chair of the House Energy Committee, I am working to negotiate our final Energy Budget bill. On May 7, we passed the House version of the Energy Budget on a bipartisan 112-21 vote. This budget fights for a brighter future and protects our 100% Carbon-Free Energy by 2040 Law. We’re promoting proven clean energy sources, lowering families’ energy costs, creating high-paying clean energy jobs, and building a more resilient energy system.
Now, as we head into a Conference Committee with the Senate and Governor, I’m focused on ensuring our budget does not gut Minnesota’s clean energy goals and scale back community solar programs, because we know that a cleaner energy system ensures lower costs, more resiliency, and protects our climate for future generations of Minnesotans.
Our work protecting our climate is more important now than ever before, and we can’t afford to go backwards. Even now, we’re seeing wildfires in Northern Minnesota, exacerbated by climate change, putting lives at risk. We must continue moving our state to a cleaner, brighter future.
And to leave you with some good news, Minnesota’s clean energy policies are working! Recent reports show that Minnesota is #1 in the Midwest for energy efficiency and #10 nationwide, and we’re hitting record lows in carbon emissions. Our House Energy Budget protects that progress and keeps us on track to hit our clean energy goals, and I will be fighting for a final bill that does the same.
House Floor Update
The Minnesota House will be meeting over the weekend to continue the important work of funding our state government. We are working to get as much done before our adjournment deadline as possible to minimize the need and scope of a potential special session.
For more information about the House Budget bills that are now in negotiation with the Senate and the Governor, you can read from our nonpartisan House Public Information staff at the links below:
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 my office during business hours at (651) 296-9934.
Sincerely,
Patty Acomb
State Representative