 Dear Neighbors, In light of the March 11 special election results, this week, House committees will rotate gavels, with DFL and Republican co-chairs setting their respective agendas and deciding which bills to discuss. More information about committee membership and schedules can be found at www.house.mn.gov/committees. I’ve been working well with my Republican co-chair on the Health Finance and Policy committee over these past weeks, per our co-governing agreement, but now I’m ready to bring back balance to the House under the 67-67 tie.  Minnesota’s Economic ForecastMinnesota recently received a new economic forecast. Our state’s budget cycle for 2023-2024 ended with a $3.7 billion surplus and a fully funded reserve account. We also had rising wages and low unemployment. Now in March of 2025, the U.S. economy and Minnesota’s economic forecast show the budget outlook moving in the wrong direction compared to the forecast released last November - and the only thing that’s changed is who is in the White House. The federal government’s reckless economic policies are impacting this forecast, with inflation expected to climb. Tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and corporations and cuts to Medicaid are expected to bring additional negative impacts to the one in five Minnesotans who rely on this critical lifeline. I’m committed to building a state budget that works for everyone in our state and Apple Valley community. To that end, bipartisan legislation I’m working on aimed at improving access to primary care in Minnesota has cleared its first committee stop. The bill proposes adjustments to Medical Assistance (MA) rates, increasing reimbursement rates to Medicare levels. I was glad to have MD Roli Dwivedi, President of the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians to testify in support of this legislative strategy to improve access to our most vulnerable and marginalized communities.  Republican co-author Rep. Dave Baker; MD Roli Dwivedi, President of the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians; and me after committee. Real ID UpdateIf you’re looking ahead to summer travels, beginning May 7, 2025, Minnesotans 18 years of age or older will not be able to use their standard driver's license or identification card to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities. Instead, they will need one of three options: - Minnesota REAL ID driver's license or identification card.
- Minnesota Enhanced driver's license or identification card.
- Other federally-approved forms of identification. They are listed online here, but include:
- U.S. passport or passport card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
- U.S. Department of defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
If you are not sure which license type is right for you, check out the Driver Vehicle Services’ website here.  Connected to CommunityHuge shoutout to our AFSCME public workers! From keeping our roads safe to ensuring access to clean water, you're the backbone of Minnesota. Thank you for taking time out of your day to visit with me in St. Paul.  District 56 Town Hall MeetingA big thank you to everyone who attended our latest community coffee hour at Dunn Brothers last Saturday. As always, I appreciate your direct feedback and the opportunity to hear from you in person, in our community. If you couldn’t make it, I hope you can turn out for our District 56 Town Hall on Saturday, March 22; Sen. Maye Quade, Rep. Huot, and I look forward to gathering together to hear what’s at the top of your mind.  Keep in TouchEven if you can’t make it next Saturday, please know you can always email me directly or reach my office by phone at 651-296-5066 with input and questions. Thank you for the honor of representing our Apple Valley neighbors in the Minnesota House. Enjoy the rest of the week! Sincerely, Robert Bierman
State Representative |