Dear Neighbors,
As the winter chill settles in, I hope you're all staying warm and cozy. A quick reminder that Minnesota’s “cold weather rule” is now in effect, which protects residents from having electric or natural gas service shut off between October 1 and April 30. To ensure your service is safe from disconnection you must make and keep a payment plan that you and your utility provider agree on. Although Minnesota has very cold winters, it’s never had a statewide law requiring landlords to maintain a minimum temperature for rental units. That changed during last year’s legislative session after the DFL took action to protect renters.
Minnesota landlords are required to keep rental units at a minimum of 68 degrees from October to April if the tenant does not control the thermostat. We are committed to making sure everyone stays warm, healthy, and safe all winter long.
More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Commerce website here.
For those needing a warm place to stay overnight, four Winter Warming Spaces in St. Paul are open to everyone. These shelters offer seating, blankets, light snacks, warm drinks, and when available, winter supplies like mittens and hats. They operate from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. nightly until March 31, 2025.
2024-2025 Committee Assignments
I am excited to share that for the 2025-2026 biennium, I've been appointed as the DFL Vice Chair of the Elections Finance and Government Operations committee. I will also serve on the House Education Finance and Taxes committees.
I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to build a stronger Minnesota by empowering working families and investing in our communities. Together, we can create an economy that works for everyone, with policies that support good-paying jobs, affordable healthcare, access to quality early care and education, and a robust social safety net for our most vulnerable Minnesotans.
New Laws Effective January 2025
- New Renter’s Credit: Renters eligible for a property tax refund will now claim the new Renter’s Credit on their Minnesota Individual Income Tax return. To claim the Renter’s Credit, renters must file a state income tax return (Form M1). For most renters claiming a property tax refund, this means they will no longer file a separate Property Tax Refund return and will not receive a separate refund later in the year. The Renter’s Credit will be part of their income tax refund amount, be applied to the amount owed on their income tax return or be applied to other debts referred to the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Learn more about the new Renter’s Credit here.
- Junk Fee Ban: Beginning next year, Minnesota businesses can no longer add service fees, health and wellness surcharges or other mandatory charges to customers’ bills at the end of a transaction. The measure will provide more transparency for consumers by forcing businesses to advertise the true price of a good or service, rather than listing a lower price while charging a significant service fee at the end of a transaction.
- Cost-Sharing for Prescription Drugs: Starting January 1, 2025, health insurance plans will have new limits on how much you pay out-of-pocket for certain medications and medical supplies. For prescriptions that treat ongoing conditions like diabetes, asthma, and severe allergies (requiring epinephrine auto-injectors like EpiPens), your co-pay will be no more than $25 per month's supply. There's also a $50 monthly limit for all related supplies like syringes, insulin pumps, test strips, glucose monitors, epinephrine auto-injectors, and inhalers. This $50 limit applies no matter how many of these conditions you have. These costs won't count towards your deductible, meaning this cost sharing starts immediately.
Additional information about laws effective January 1 is available here.
Stay Connected
As a reminder, legislators will be working in the Centennial Office Building ahead of the new year. I deeply value your partnership in building a better future. Please continue to share your perspectives on the issues that impact our community. To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out here.
For meetings: Please email my legislative assistant, Robin Mercer-Taylor, at Robin.Mercer-Taylor@house.mn.gov or call 651-296-3869.
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Zoo siab,
Rep. Liz Lee
District (67A)
Minnesota House of Representatives