Car Tab Fees, Food Insecurity, and Education Interests

March 27, 2026

Car Tab Fee Reduction Bill Hearing

Friends and neighbors,

This week, a bill that I have co-authored to lower your car tab fees had a hearing in the Transportation Committee. HF3562 is a bill to reduce your car tab fees back down to what they were prior to significant increases from legislation passed in 2023. The bill failed to advance, as my DFL colleagues expressed concerns regarding how this would impact funding for MnDOT. However, I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner to do something about this growing problem.

I have received many phone calls and emails from constituents about how they view these fees as a money grab by the state government, and I have to agree. I have had conversations with several people who told me that they are paying higher car tab fees now than they did four years ago, despite their cars having depreciated in value!

After hearing Rep. Luger-Nikolai (D-St. Paul) suggest that she "may offer an amendment to quintuple the rates of these registration fees," I have been deeply concerned about increases spiraling out of control, and the affordability impact that this will have on Minnesota drivers. 

The work that I do at the legislature is all about making Minnesota a great place to build a life and raise a family. In order for this to be possible, life must be affordable. I remain committed to having conversations with legislators across the aisle to see if we can find an agreement on this much-needed legislation.

Food Insecurity Bills

I am also the co-author of three food insecurity bills that will help Minnesotans adjust to SNAP benefits reductions that have taken place at the federal level:

• HF3579: Will allow eggs to be donated to, and distributed by, food shelves up to 30 days past their quality assurance date. As it is still generally safe to eat eggs within this time window, this bill will give grocers the ability to donate unsold eggs, making sure that valuable protein does not go to waste.
• HF3387: Will modify the hunter-harvested donation program for deer meat. Currently, hunters have to either donate an entire deer, or none at all. This bill allows hunters to donate parts of their harvest, while keeping the parts that they want to grill up for themselves. Similar programs in surrounding states have yielded hundreds of thousands of pounds in extra venison donations each year to feed the hungry.
• HF3385: Will provide emergency state funding to food shelves and food banks as Minnesota acclimates to the new SNAP regulations. These organizations play a critical role in our state's infrastructure for feeding those in need, and we cannot risk them collapsing due to a sudden revenue shock.

I am proud to be a part of this safety-net legislation to assist Minnesotans in difficult financial situations, and I believe that these common-sense bills will receive broad bipartisan support.

Thank You For Visiting Me At The Capitol!

Thank you to everyone who came up to visit me at the State Capitol this week! I had important one-on-one discussions with many of you, and your insight is what allows me to draft policy to improve Minnesota.

One of the highlights of my week was speaking with advocates from Winona State University and Minnesota State College Southeast about education priorities. It is critical that Minnesota remains a place where students can receive an exceptional education, and I will continue to work on your behalf at the State Legislature to advance the interests of our fantastic university system.

Winona State University

Minnesota State College Southeast

Please Contact Me

Pease be sure to contact me to share your questions, comments, and concerns. I can be reached at 651-296-8637 or rep.aaron.repinski@house.mn.gov. 

Have a good day,

Aaron

/RepAaronRepinski

2nd Floor Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar Street
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.8637