 Neighbors, It has been a week of action at the Capitol. We have been busy passing conference committee reports and sending the compromise measures to the governor for his signature. Just yesterday, the House approved the Agriculture Budget conference committee report, following action by the Senate. The bill will now head to Gov. Walz for his signature. The Agriculture budget includes several provisions I authored, including funding for the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Biofuel Infrastructure Grant Program, and my bill aiming to provide our neighbors experiencing food insecurity with fresh, healthy food through local food banks. Locally, the report contains my bill to appropriate funds to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for grants to GreenSeam LLC in Mankato to assist agriculture-related businesses. GreenSeam would be required to annually report grant outcomes and accomplishments to the legislature. Earlier in session, GreenSeam Director Sam Ziegler testified in favor of the legislation. Claims LegislationAlso on Thursday, the House passed the Claims bill. I chair this bipartisan, bicameral committee, which considers tort claims against the state and presented the bill to the House. It passed with broad support.  Lastly, on Thursday, the House approved a resolution to recognize the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The resolution asks the U.S. Senate to remove the extra-textual time limit for ratification of the amendment, allowing for states to fully ratify and incorporate the ERA into the United States Constitution. Minnesota ratified the ERA in 1973. Several Conference Committee Reports ApprovedTuesday, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the conference committee report on the 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 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. Also Tuesday, the House overwhelmingly approved the conference committee report on the Legacy Budget. Along with all the great investments in the bill, it includes my provision to fund children’s museums throughout the state. Minnesota’s children’s museums, including in Mankato, are jewels in the community. They open the whole world to our kids, and I am pleased my funding proposal was accepted as part of the final Legacy budget bill. In addition to children’s museums, the Legacy bill also invests in Minnesota’s outdoor heritage, clean water, parks and trails, and arts and culture, including funds to restore, protect, and enhance Minnesota’s prairies, forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitats, with projects covering thousands of acres of land. It also includes funding for the arts and arts education preserving Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage. Monday, the Minnesota House unanimously passed the conference committee report for the Veterans & Military Affairs Budget. The bill funds operations of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Military Affairs, while including initiatives to support Minnesota veterans. Also on Monday, the Minnesota House approved the conference committee report on the state’s Housing Budget. The report makes $1 billion in investments, the most significant commitment to addressing our housing crisis in state history. In doing so, the legislature will create housing stability for Minnesota families on the brink of homelessness through new state-based housing vouchers, spur the production of new homes across the state, and deliver pathways to homeownership for thousands of Minnesotans. As the end of session nears, you can watch all the relevant conference committee and House floor hearings on the House Public Information YouTube channel. Stay connected with the LegislatureThe Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website here. I welcome your questions and comments anytime. You can send an email to rep.luke.frederick@house.mn.gov or call me at (651) 296-3248. Also, please visit and “like” my Facebook page for more Capitol and community updates. Thank you for the privilege of representing you in the legislature. Sincerely, Luke Frederick State Representative District 18B – rep.luke.frederick@house.mn.gov
487 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-3248 Committee assignments:
Vice Chair: Human Services Policy Judiciary Finance & Civil Law Agriculture Finance & Policy Elections Finance & Policy |