Legislative Update from Rep. Nathan Coulter

Friends and neighbors, 

I hope you’re having a fun and safe summer. I’ve loved spending my days back in Bloomington and getting to spend time with family. We even headed west for a quick family trip! 

It’s hard to believe, but the start of the 2023-24 school year is just around the corner. This school year, you will likely notice some changes due to new laws going into effect before the fall. During this year’s legislative session, we made historic investments in our public education system, and for the first time in years, fully funded our public schools. The money we invested in our students will mean brighter futures for Bloomington students through better access to vital resources to help prepare them for life after graduation. Whether you’re a new parent with littles just starting Pre-K or about to watch your high school senior plan for what comes next, you will notice some key changes this fall.  

All of these new education laws represent a major investment in the future of Minnesota's students. They will help to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education, regardless of their zip code or background. I wish you well as we finish out another beautiful Minnesota summer, and hope you have a fantastic back-to-school season before school starts on August 28th! You can find school supply lists for Bloomington Public Schools here. 

Universal School Meals

One change many families will feel almost immediately is Universal School Meals - every public school student is now able to receive free breakfast and lunch every day. This means no more negative lunch accounts or lunchroom bullying due to food insecurity. We’ve witnessed far too many kids fall in the gap between need-based free and reduced lunch eligibility and not being able to afford to pay full price, causing kids to go hungry while trying to learn and prepare for their futures. It’s simple: regardless of the reason, our kids can’t learn on an empty stomach. By providing meals to all students, we ensure no kid goes hungry or suffers academically due to lack of food access. That’s not all -- students will also have access to free menstrual products at school, a problem that previously went under-acknowledged and inadequately addressed despite its major impact on Minnesota’s kids.  

Better tools and resources to serve our kids

We also significantly increased per-pupil funding and reduced the Special Education and English Language Learner cross-subsidies, ensuring our schools can afford to provide students with the tools and resources they need and deserve. Finally, we made thousands more Pre-Kindergarten seats permanent so that districts and families will have the certainty to plan for the future of our youngest learners.  

Free college tuition

Families with students in college will see some great changes, too. I served on the Higher Education Committee this year, and I was extremely proud to be a part of making tuition free at Minnesota public colleges and universities for families making $80,000/year or less.  

We also fully-funded a tuition freeze at all MinnState schools – including Normandale Community College – and made certain that increases at the U of M are reasonable. 

More and more young people are questioning the accessibility and affordability of higher education, even as the need is abundantly clear, and it’s not hard to understand why: Minnesota is one of the worst states in the nation for student debt and racial disparities. But we also know that we need educated neighbors, workers, and communities. Recent Supreme Court decisions around student loans and admissions have the potential to be incredibly damaging to the future of higher education - even as these institutions already face immense challenges - from both a policy and a perception standpoint. 

By improving access to higher education and easing the burden of student loan debt, Minnesota can build and attract the most skilled and valuable workers in the country. 

Renter’s tax credit

If you’re a renter, it’s time to claim your property tax refund. This is the last year renters will have to apply for it separately from their tax filing, and the time to do so is now! 

This session, my bill to fold the Renter’s Property Tax Refund into our April tax filing was signed into law, and it will go into effect for the 2023 tax year. Along with making it simpler and more convenient, we also expanded the credit to many Minnesotans who didn’t qualify previously.  

You can find all of the info you need to receive your credit here. Apply soon to receive your refund in August! 

Stay Connected

This year’s session might be over, but there’s still plenty to stay up to date with as new laws go into effect, we meet with constituents, and prepare for next year’s session. You can 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