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 that will address the looming budget shortfalls that are projected for 2028 and beyond. This week committees will be finalizing their budget bills and wrapping up bill hearings before the tough budget negotiations get underway after we return from Legislative Spring Break, which starts on Friday afternoon and runs through Easter. I’ll be using the time to get caught up on my backlog of correspondence and will write up a more extensive summary of where we stand.
Here is an update from the Capitol:
I had a wonderful time at this year's Iftar dinner. We had a very diverse group of folks at our table, with folks from Kenya, Georgia (the country), Somalia, and Uganda. It was a fantastic cultural exchange!
Activity at the Capitol
I attended the “Hands Off” protest over the weekend to stand up for our collective rights, freedoms, and government programs. The actions taken at the federal level by Trump and Musk have had terrible consequences, and this is only the beginning. It was great to see what might be a record amount of participants at this rally. We will have to keep this action up to protect what makes Minnesota, and the US, a wonderful place to live!
It was great visiting with Normandale College folks during oral health day on the hill last week! I always enjoy visiting with folks from such a wonderful institution that’s right here in our community.
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. I’m a proud co-author of this legislation.
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.
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.
Fraud Prevention Resources
Text, email, and social media scams are becoming more sophisticated and more prevalent. If you’re like me, you probably have gotten some of these scam texts that say you need to pay a toll or confirm a payment--it's important to be skeptical of such texts. Those E-Z Pass texts are scams, and MnDOT has issued a fraud warning here with resources in case you accidentally click a link.
Attorney General Keith Ellison has some resources on How to Spot a Scam with helpful examples and a list of common scams. If you have concerns about a particular offer or believe you are the victim of a scam, the Attorney General wants to hear from you. You may call at (651) 296-3353 (Twin Cities Calling Area) or (800) 657-3787 (Outside the Twin Cities), or submit a Consumer Assistance Request Form.
Meanwhile, here at the Legislature, we are working on bills to support the Attorney General’s work cracking down on fraud in the public and private sectors. Some proposals include stiffer penalties on Medicaid fraudsters, a fraud investigation unit within the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, fighting against employer misclassification fraud, and protecting veterans from claim sharks that seek to profit off the benefits they earned in service to our country.
Trump Continues to Harm Minnesotans
Last week 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, and as of the afternoon of March 20th, 24 state awards were unable to access federal funding. This would have broad-ranging effects on vital programs that help Minnesota’s children and families, like TANF, Medicaid, and SNAP. These actions from Trump and Musk are destroying the basic systems that support Minnesotans across the state. Read more on this here.
Keep in Touch
Don’t hesitate to reach out if I can provide any assistance. Please follow me on my Facebook page for further updates and invite your friends and family to do so as well.
Thanks for the honor of representing you at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Steve Elkins
Representative, District 50B
Minnesota House of Representatives
rep.steve.elkins@house.mn.gov