Legislative Update from Rep. Nathan Coulter

Friends and neighbors, 

With just one week of the legislative session left, we’re wrapping up and sending our budget bills across the finish line. The House will adjourn next Thursday, May 18th and we will return in 2024.  

Being near the end means we’re wrapping up some big legislative priorities. Here’s the latest from the Capitol. 

Higher Education Budget Conference Committee Report

This week, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the conference committee report on House File 2073, 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. This session, we were able to hear fantastic legislation in committee, and I’m incredibly proud of the budget bill we’ve put together.  

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 tuition and fees to students with household incomes under $80,000, making higher education accessible to all Minnesotans without having to take on crushing amounts of student debt.  

Paid Family and Medical Leave

This week, the Minnesota House passed HF 2, known as Paid Family and Medical Leave. 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, meaning lost wages from time off will be recovered by the State fund, not employers. I’m a proud co-author of the bill, and I’m incredibly excited to watch it benefit Minnesotans once law. 

Every day in Minnesota, too many workers face the impossible choice of either going to work to earn a paycheck or staying home to take care of themselves or a sick family member. While some workers have jobs that provide paid sick leave, thousands of Minnesotans do not have access to a single paid day off. Additionally, those in the lowest wage positions and our BIPOC community members face stark disparities.   

The United States of America is the only high-wealth country in the world that does not guarantee some sort of paid leave for its workforce, and it’s been a major disservice to our citizens and our economy. In addition to the benefits for workers, paid family and medical leave will also benefit businesses. Studies have shown that businesses with paid family and medical leave policies have lower turnover rates, higher productivity, and stronger employee morale. Paid family and medical leave will also help to attract and retain top talent. Our bill creates a grant program for businesses with 50 employees or fewer that could apply for grants to cover certain costs. This is a massive win for Minnesota.  

Thank you Representative Ruth Richardson and Senator Alice Oliveira Mann for carrying this legislation. 

Stay Connected

To stay up to date with our important work at the State Capitol, you can see the Minnesota House of Public Information Services’ nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. 

You can also stay up-to-date with the latest by following my Facebook page. 

To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out at rep.nathan.coulter@house.mn.gov or 651-296-4218, and I will be happy to help. If you were forwarded this email and you’d like to subscribe, click here. If you have a friend or neighbor who would be interested in receiving these, please forward this and encourage them to subscribe. 

Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving you.   

Rep. Nathan Coulter