Legislative Update

Good morning,

We have officially reached the first and second committee deadlines as of Friday, April 5^th, 2025.  Essentially this means that we are no longer introducing new bills, so now we can pivot and focus on crafting the budget. There are sometimes exceptions to the deadlines by waiver but considering the work we have ahead for the budget, that will definitely be our primary focus. It takes a lot of work and there are many people involved in creating the budget, but I will share updates when I am able to.

Budget Targets

Late last Friday, House GOP and House DFL leadership announced that they had reached an agreement on a budget framework for the upcoming session. The budget process is extensive and requires months of negotiation, careful planning, and input from both sides of the aisle. Given the current split in the House, bipartisan cooperation is essential to ensure that the final budget reflects a balanced approach to Minnesota’s financial future.

As part of this process, each committee receives a designated amount of funding to work with, and these allocations together determine the total state budget. The budget targets released for this session represent the largest spending cut in Minnesota state history. This level of reduction is necessary in light of recent financial mismanagement, including the depletion of an $18 billion surplus, the burden of $10 billion in tax increases, and an unprecedented 40 percent expansion of government spending in the last session. These past decisions have contributed to the budgetary challenges the state now faces, making it crucial to adopt a more fiscally responsible path moving forward.

By prioritizing financial restraint in this budget cycle, we have successfully reduced the state’s looming deficit by half. However, despite this progress, the deficit remains close to $3 billion, which means there is still significant work ahead to bring Minnesota’s finances under control. Responsible budgeting requires difficult choices, but these spending targets mark an important first step toward restoring fiscal stability. While challenges remain, this framework provides a foundation for a more sustainable financial future for Minnesota.

Southeast Minnesota Workforce Development Area - HF2390

I presented HF2390 to the Workforce Development Committee on Wednesday. This bill provides funding to the Southeast MN Workforce Development Area, which promotes economic and workforce development in Steele County. The program has been very successful and helpful to local job-seekers in our communities, particularly to high schoolers and businesses. Thank you to Jinny Rietmann and Shaylee Gates who joined me at the testifiers table and provided wonderful  testimony in support of the bill and on behalf of the community. The bill was laid over for further consideration, and I will update you as I find out more information.

Left to right, left photo: Shaylee Gates, me, Jinny Rietmann, and Jenna Overland

Owatonna Public Safety Center Funding – HF424

Last week, I presented HF424 to the Capital Investments Committee. This bill would provide funding for the Owatonna Public Safety Center, particularly for the predesign and design stages of the process. This project is important for our community to promote public safety and support our police officers. I was fortunate enough to be joined by a few Owatonna community members who came to the committee presentation and testified in support of this bill. This bill will be reconsidered later in the session, and I will let you know when there is progress on this bill.  As almost everyone knows, this is one of the last bills approved each year and a significant amount of negotiation goes into this effort as nearly every representative has a project proposal.

Left to Right: Owatonna Police Chief Jeff Mundale, Assistant City Administrator Jenna Tuma, me, City Administrator Kris Busse,  Owatonna Mayor Matt Jessop, and Fire Chief Ed Hoffman.

Left to Right: Owatonna Police Chief Jeff Mundale, me, and Owatonna Fire Chief Ed Hoffman during testimony to the Capital Investment Committee.

Good Government Can Occur Without Formal Legislation

This is the story of a recent success in St. Paul that created positive change without formally creating a law.

Senator Jasinski (SF1102) and I sponsored logical and concise legislation (HF423) to lower the speed limit on County State-Aid Highway (CSAH) 12 in the vicinity of the Medford High School. With the assistance of Medford Mayor Danny Thomas, our Medford School Board, Medford Schools Superintendent Mark Ristau, and our Steele County Commissioners, testimony heard in the Senate Committee generated much discussion and SF 1102 passed unanimously. We scheduled the parallel hearing in the House Transportation Committee today, but fortunately it was not needed. Late last night, we received a letter from MNDoT agreeing to the requested speed limit adjustment for a duration of two years while a temporary speed zone study occurs towards the end of the two-year timeframe.

Thus, our residents and children will see a speed zone decrease and an increase in safety in the area sooner.

Thanks to the entire team who helped with this initiative!

Semcac

I had a great meeting with Semcac this week, and I got to hear all about their community action programs in Southeastern Minnesota. Organizations such as this one are vital to the success of our communities and community members, as they provide critical support of many kinds to those that are in need. I appreciate the time that these folks took to come to the Capitol and tell me about their great work in our area.

Left to Right: Kelly Dicke; Jeff Wyant, Senior Services Director; Me; Jennifer Hengel, Executive Director.

MN Historical Society

I got to meet with David Kelliher and Kent Whitworth from the Minnesota Historical Society to discuss the needs of the organization. It was great to hear about their work and how the legislature can support them so they can continue to present the history of Minnesota to visitors.

Left to Right: David Kelliher, Director of Public Policy and Community Relations at the Minnesota Historical Society, me, Kent Whitworth, Director and CEO of the Minnesota Historical Society.

Coffee with Tom

Reminder: Coffee with Tom is at the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce today from 12:00 – 1:00pm, and then next Friday, April 11^th, at the Waseca Chamber of Commerce. We had an excellent meeting in Medford last week, and I am looking forward to these next two meetings. This is a great way for us to interact in district so that I can hear your opinions and take your insight back to the Capitol with me! Thank you to all who have attended in the past, and if you are interested I strongly encourage you to attend. On a further note, we will likely need to pause our Coffee with Tom meetings from April 21^st until May 21^st, 2025. During this phase of the legislative session, we will be working five to seven days each week in St. Paul to negotiate and pass the two-year budget.