Dear Neighbors -
Every spring, we live through that season of uncertainty in Minnesota: It’s the time of year when you have to ask yourself -- will it be 60 degrees and sunny, or will it snow? Same is true for this time of year at the Capitol as we work through putting together a state budget that reflects our values. I am fighting hard to protect Minnesotans and our state from the chaos and cruelty of the Trump/Musk actions, freezes and cuts and standing up for our most vulnerable neighbors.
The fight to protect Minnesota and Minnesotans will take all of us together using our powerful voices. As Co-Chair of the Inclusive Democracy Caucus, I will be joining thousands of Minnesotans Tomorrow, Saturday April 5th from 12:00-2:00pm at the Minnesota State Capitol for Hands Off!, a national mass activation in defiance of the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the far right assault on our freedoms and our communities. Join us!
Hands Off! is an all-in moment for the pro-democracy, pro-worker movement—a demand, a warning, and a rallying cry. It’s important to show up for our neighbors and send a message to D.C. that their chaotic, cruel, and corrupt agenda has no place in Minnesota. You can RSVP and find more information here.
District Town Hall with Attorney General
Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura, Senator Zaynab Mohamed, and I are thrilled to be joined by Attorney General Ellison for our District 63 Town Hall on Tuesday, April 22nd from 6:30-7:30pm at South High School. We will discuss how we are working to protect Minnesotans from the chaos and cruelty of the Trump/Musk agenda both in the Legislature and in the courts.
Attorney General Ellison has been winning cases on behalf of Minnesotans for years. In the last few months, the Attorney General has been on the frontlines of protecting our state from the illegal and constitutional actions of Donald Trump and Elon Musk and I’m incredibly thankful and excited that he will be joining us to talk about the work of the Attorney General’s office. I hope you can join us.
Fighting for Workers
It was a packed week in the House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Committee, which I Co-Chair. On Wednesday, Republicans brought forward a bill that attempted to divide legislators by combining a pro-labor provision to extend Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits to impacted steelworkers on the Iron Range with rushed provisions to change our environmental review without a hearing in the Environment and Natural Resources committee. DFLers called out this partisan procedural trick for what it was: an attempt to put a poison pill in a bill that provides needed support for workers. You can watch my comments here.
On Thursday, when DFLers controlled the agenda, we acted swiftly to extend UI benefits to those miners in a clean bill that received unanimous support in the Labor Committee. With nearly 600 Iron Range miners expected to be laid off by the end of May, this legislation, authored by DFLer. Rep. Pete Johnson, would provide impacted employees with up to 26 additional weeks of Unemployment Insurance if their regular UI benefits are exhausted. This was the right thing to do to support labor, and I’m glad we succeeded despite GOP attempts to play politics on this incredibly important issue.
We are also trying to provide economic security for federal workers in Minnesota who have been victims of the chaotic, arbitrary and, in many cases, illegal firings and coerced resignations. On Thursday, we also heard a bill to extend UI benefits to workers who took deferred resignation offers earlier this year. You can watch my comments on the importance of supporting federal workers here.
The chaos of the Trump administration was on full display when Elon Musk and his unelected DOGE “staff” sent emails to federal employees pressuring them to take dubious buyout offers to leave public service. This move was likely illegal, but many employees may have felt pressured to accept or not understand exactly what they were agreeing to.
Our bill would ensure that Minnesota families and workers affected by those cruel cuts can have support and take unemployment benefits while they look for a new job. Unfortunately, all the Republicans on the committee voted against this bill to help Minnesota’s impacted by the federal chaos and we weren’t able to get the bill out of committee.
Last month, Governor Walz launched an initiative to help connect federal workers with resources on how to work in state government. I would encourage you to share those resources with anyone in your network who has been affected.
Fighting Back Nationally
It’s clear by now that the Trump/Musk federal cuts are dangerous and will harm Minnesotans across our state. DFLers in the Legislature are committed to doing everything we can to address the harms of these cuts and fight back against further MAGA legislators attempts to roll back progress here in Minnesota.
You may have seen that the Minnesota Department of Health announced last week that the Trump administration is unilaterally rescinding $226 million in federal grants related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cuts amount to about 25% of MDH’s current budget, according to KARE-11, and are likely to result in the layoffs of around 200 employees. The actions are part of a broader nationwide effort to eliminate $11 billion in spending by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Additional reporting from the Star Tribune shows that these cuts will also harm $12 million to help 10,000 Minnesota households pay their utility bills and prevent power shutoffs, because HHS staff responsible for running the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program have been fired.
If you have been personally affected by these cuts, or know someone who has, please reach out to my office so we can help get your information to the appropriate offices and agencies and help in any way we can. We’re all in this together and I will do my best to support you in these difficult times.
House Budget Targets
As the Legislature moves forward in crafting a new state budget, we will fight to put more power in the hands of Minnesotans, not billionaires and large corporations. Last weekend, DFL and Republican House leadership agreed to budget targets–an outline for the state’s two-year budget that will be passed this session.
The truth is, Trump’s tariffs are raising prices, DOGE is eliminating jobs for hardworking Minnesotans, and Republicans are planning to gut Medicaid for thousands of seniors, people with disabilities, and children – all in service to cutting taxes for billionaires and big corporations.
The harm is already impacting Minnesotans and our state budget. That’s why we need to pass a state budget that puts more power in the hands of Minnesotans, not billionaires and big corporations. And we must ensure that our state budget provides for maximum flexibility for us to address future harm from federal action.
Stay in Touch
Thank you for your time, energy, and all you do to make our community a great place to live, work, and play. Always feel free to reach out to me with your input and ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. My email is rep.emma.greenman@house.mn.gov or you are always welcome to call me at the Capitol at 651-296-4200 and follow my Facebook page for updates.
It’s an honor and a privilege to be your State Representative. I'm very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together and look forward to the work we have ahead of us. Together, we can create a stronger, brighter future for all Minnesotans!
Best,
Emma Greenman
State Representative