Legislative Update – May 2, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
Last week was another busy week at the State Capitol, having now passed all of our budget proposals off the House Floor. You can read into the specifics of our budget proposals in the House Public Information articles written on each: Higher Education, Legacy, Environment and Clean Energy, Housing, Veterans, Elections, State and Local Government, K-12 Education, Agriculture, Transportation, Early Learning, Children & Families, Jobs & Labor, Human Services, Pensions, Commerce, Judiciary & Public Safety, Tax, and Health.
K-12 Education Budget
I am especially proud of the investments we are making in K-12 education. This bill is a historic investment after almost 20 years of underfunding. It stabilizes school funding, supports the health and well-being of our students, increases career pathways and connections, and fills in 50% of the special education cross-subsidy. We know that our whole state benefits from a strong education system, and I was proud to vote for this bill to put us back on track!
Prince Roger’s Memorial Highway
Sometimes it snows in April. Sometimes highway signs are purple. On April 21, the anniversary of Prince’s death, we unanimously passed legislation that would name a 7-mile stretch of Highway 5 in Eden Prairie and Chanhassen to the “Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway” – marked with purple signs! I’m proud of my colleague from Chanhassen, Lucy Rehm, for authoring the bill and I was glad to present her with this Prince hat on the House Floor!
The Governor’s State of the State Address
On April 17, Governor Walz delivered the State of the State address from the House Floor. Now that we’re 100 days into Walz’s second term, we can look back and see all of the great things we’ve done for Minnesotans together. It’s no coincidence that we are making immense progress this session: I’m proud to be part of this energetic and diverse legislature, with leaders who are committed to getting things done for Minnesotans. You can view the full address here.
Lawns 2 Legumes!
The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is once again accepting applications for grants for the Lawns to Legumes program. This program aims to increase habitat for at-risk pollinators in residential settings across the state by providing people with cost-share funding, workshops, coaching, and gardening resources. The new application period is open, and applications will be accepted through June 30, 2023. Details: https://bwsr.state.mn.us/node/10456
Stay Connected!
To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out at rep.ned.carroll@house.mn.gov or 651-296-5510, and I will be happy to help!
Sincerely,
Ned Carroll
State Representative