Dear Neighbors,
Today marks the final day of the 2023 Minnesota Legislative Session – there is much to report from the past two weeks. We have been working every single day to ensure we could end on time while also delivering on much needed projects for communities all throughout our great State. I am always happy when the session ends just as our beautiful Minnesota weather arrives. I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the sun.
Below, please find highlighted information about legislation that has passed over the past 10 days:
Public Safety and Judiciary Budget
The public safety portion of our budget invests in a diverse set of tools to improve public safety. It prioritizes a holistic approach on gun violence prevention, funding for law enforcement and victims of crime, juvenile justice reform, and more. This report will create a safer Minnesota while working to break cycles of crime and violence.
With significant investments in public defense and civil legal services, the creation of an Office of Appellate Counsel, the protection of students’ personal information, and the elimination of court document fees, the Judiciary portion of the bill is building a system that will more equitably serve the people of Minnesota.
A copy of the final public safety bill can be found here.
Historic K-12 budget
We passed our final education budget bill which invests $2.2 billion new dollars into our education system. This includes a 4% per-pupil increase in the general education formula in 2024 and a 2% increase in 2025 for an investment totaling $704 million, this increase is then linked to inflation in following years. This is the largest investment in our students in a generation and it is sorely needed! While it doesn’t get us back to historic funding levels, it is an incredible step forward and one that will benefit every student in the state.
A final copy of the bill can be found here.
Early Childhood Budget
Our final Early Childhood budget invests a historic $300 million over the next four years in Great Start scholarships. These early learning scholarships increase access to high-quality early care and learning programs for lower-income and vulnerable children to improve school readiness and allow parents to access employment and education opportunities. From birth to age five, a child’s brain develops more rapidly than at any other time in life. Research has made it clear that the quality of a child’s experiences in the first few years of life helps shape how their brain develops. These experiences have lasting impacts on their health and ability to learn and succeed in school and in life.
A final copy of the bill can be found here.
Final Higher Education Budget Passes
We approved the conference committee report on the state’s Higher Education Budget. With declining enrollment across higher education, the report provides a record increase in investment for Minnesota’s colleges and universities to reverse this trend.
The Higher Education budget for 2024-2025 funds the Office of Higher Education, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, the University of Minnesota campuses, the Mayo Clinic Medical School, and Tribal Colleges. Notably, the budget provides free college to students with household income under $80,000.
A final copy of the bill can be found here.
House Passes Final Adult Use Cannabis Bill
On Thursday we passed our final bill to legalize the adult-use of cannabis in Minnesota. The bill was reviewed and approved by 16 committees before reaching the House Floor. In its current version, it would permit a person age 21 or older to:
- possess up to 2 ounces of cannabis flower in a public place or 2 pounds in a person’s residence;
- possess or transport no more than 8 grams of adult-use cannabis concentrate;
- possess or transport edible products infused with up to 800 milligrams of THC;
- give away cannabis flower and cannabinoid products in an amount that is legal for a person to possess in public;
- use cannabis flower and cannabinoid products in private areas; and
- cultivate up to eight cannabis plants, of which four or fewer may be mature, flowering plants.
Once signed into law, Minnesota will become the 23rd state to legalize adult-use cannabis and the third state in the Midwest. Created with this bill is the Office of Cannabis Management, which will oversee the regulation of cannabis, cannabis products, hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products.
Here is a great article that summaries the full legal legislation we passed.
Climate, Energy and Environment
The climate and energy provisions of the legislation invest nearly $250 million in new funding 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 our state on the path to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Taxes
Collectively, our delivers the largest tax cut in state history with credits, rebates, and other provisions designed to maximize benefits for workers, families, and seniors. It also addresses years of rising property taxes and underinvestment in local communities by providing millions of dollars in property tax relief and direct assistance to local communities.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Paid Family and Medical Leave is set to become law! The bill provides Minnesota workers up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for family or themselves. The program is funded by a small employer and employee contribution, and partial wage replacement under the fund will function similarly to Minnesota’s unemployment insurance system.
Transportation
Our transportation bill passed the House and Senate last night and makes critical investments in our roads and transit system. The legislation provides sustainable, dedicated, ongoing funding for roads, bridges and transit. A final copy of the bill can be found here:
Other Bills
Later Today:
- The bonding bill containing projects for Edina and Bloomington is also scheduled to pass later today.
- We will also be passing later today for nursing home funds that will invest $300 million to help stabilize facilities financially in Minnesota.
- We also have the Health Policy and Finance Bill that extends medical coverage and cost sharing, expands access to mental health crisis and intervention models and expands prescription drug transparency as well and reinstates dental coverage under medical assistance.
End of Session Town Hall
Join me, Rep. Cheryl Youakim, Senator Latz, and Senator Alice Mann on Wednesday, May 24th, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Edina Community Lutheran Church, 4113 W. 54th street. We only have a couple weeks left until the end of session, and we have a lot to share with you! Be sure to stop by and say hi!
It has been my honor to serve our Edina and Bloomington communities this legislative session. My bi-weekly emails will now end – but I will continue to send updates throughout the year to update you on issues of importance from the State level to our cities.
Stay in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.heather.edelson@house.mn or 651-296-4363 with your input or questions. You’re also welcome to follow me or ‘like’ my official Facebook page for additional updates.
Thank you for the honor of representing our Edina residents and families in the Minnesota House!
Sincerely,
Heather Edelson
State Representative