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I was glad to be elected again to serve as an Assistant Minority Leader in the Senate. This helps give our district, and all of Greater MN, a voice in leadership discussions and negotiations regarding policy and budget issues. I also remain the chair of our Clean Energy and Climate Caucus. It’s more work but I really enjoy it.
I proudly serve on the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy Committee, the Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee (where I serve as the Ranking DFL Member), the Rules and Administration Committee, Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement, and the Legislative Audit Commission.
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Agriculture & Drought Relief for Farmers (HF 3420)
The bill provided $1.2 million in funding for the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the U of M to help our livestock producers with testing and preventing disease outbreaks. The bill included $18.4 million for drought relief grants, and included funding to respond to High Path Avian Influenza and for our Rural Finance Authority disaster fund.
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Border-to-Border Rural Broadband (SF 4494)
I was proud to the co-author and a negotiator of the bill to secure $27 million toward rural internet access for Minnesotans who don’t have it. This bill provided money to help schools and students that lack high speed internet access. It also established a telemedicine equipment reimbursement program. The bill passed the Senate in special session and I hope the House and Governor will give final approval in the near future.
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Adult Mental Health Initiative (HF 2725)
$60 million for mental health services and staffing across our state, including the basics of my bill for the Adult Mental Health Initiative (SF 4473). This legislation was a high priority for Blue Earth and Nicollet County Human Services.
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Pensions (3530)
As a member of the Pension Commission, I was glad to vote “yes” on this bill. It allows retired teachers to return to the classroom without financial penalty, alters the vesting schedule for police and fire pensions, and expands eligibility for DHS employees in the Minnesota State Retirement System Correctional Plan, among other provisions
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Budget Surplus
In February, the state announced a projected budget surplus of $9.2 billion. For context, our two year budget is about $52 billion, so the surplus was a sign of a healthy state economy – as was record low unemployment. As a result, legislators were looking to return part of the surplus to our citizens. A good start was passage of a $3.2 billion unemployment insurance trust fund/ frontline worker bill. It provided significant help for our businesses and workers. We also passed modest funding bills for agriculture, veterans, rural broadband, and mental health. Unfortunately, we missed a big opportunity in the final month of session. We had a signed agreement in May – Governor, House, and Senate – to pass $4 billion in tax cuts and spend another $4 billion to help with education, long-term care staffing, public safety, and more. The details were not worked out before our required adjournment on May 23, but we could have easily compromised in a short special session. Certain legislators would not agree to do so. Let me be clear: I think legislators should be required to return for a special session and finish our work
These are the budget bills that did pass this session, and while they were not everything we should have done, each represented bipartisan compromise and was important to Minnesota.
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Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and Frontline Worker Bonuses (SF 2677)
YES vote: This was the largest appropriations bill we passed all year, and I was glad to be a voice for both business owners and employees. The bill sends $750 checks directly to approximately 667,000 Minnesotans who served as essential workers during the pandemic and included $2.7 billion to fully replenish the UITF, which helped prevent a possible increase in UI tax payments for our businesses. BTW, the UI trust fund is one of the best anti poverty programs we can have.
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Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (HF 3765)
YES vote: The ENRTF was established in 1988 through a constitutional amendment and holds assets generated by the Minnesota State Lottery for the protection of the state’s air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources. There was an argument about process: even though the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) failed to reach a consensus on recommending specific projects (which is the normal approach, and allows broad input and debate), a bill was passed anyway. With over $70.8 million spread among 78 projects in the final bill, this legislation will fund significant good work.
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2022 Outdoor Heritage Fund (HF 3438)
YES vote: $159 million in spending on projects designed to “restore, protect, and enhance wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife.” The bill provided $35 million for nine projects impacting prairies; $13.2 million for five projects impacting forests; $26.7 million for seven wetlands projects; and $83.3 million for 22 projects impacting habitats.
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Omnibus Health and Human Services Policy (HF 4605)
YES vote: This bill increased the number of families eligible for food assistance from the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP) by expanding the income eligibility from 165% to 200% of the federal poverty line. This expansion will have no cost to the state budget, and yet allows nearly 1,500 additional families to access needed food benefits, paid for entirely by federal funds.
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Omnibus Liquor (SF 3008)
YES vote: A long time coming, this compromise bill will allow cocktail rooms and distilleries to sell cocktails and up to 750ml per customer (in approved containers). Most notably, it also raises the “growler cap” from 20,000 to 150,000 barrels, allowing some of the largest Minnesota craft brewers to sell growlers (larger containers) on site.
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State Contracts (HF 3346)
YES vote: Our state employees help make Minnesota run smoothly. The Legislature is responsible for approving State Contracts, and I was a proud “YES” vote for our state employees wages, benefits, and workplace safety issues. The ratified contracts cover more than 40,000 workers, including corrections officers, staff at state residential schools, radio operators, many of whom live and work in our district.
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Omnibus Veterans and Military Affairs (SF 4233)
YES vote: The bill appropriates $52.3 million in additional funding to the Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs and the Minnesota National Guard. Nearly $25 million in new funding will be distributed as service bonus checks to post-9/11 veterans and Gold Star families and there is $8.2 million for Veteran Stable Housing Initiatives.
