Session Recap: Results Over Partisanship

May 20, 2026

Session Recap: Results Over Partisanship

Friends and neighbors,

We live in a politically polarized time. At the federal and state levels, tensions are flaring, and these widening differences culminated last week with what amounted to a yelling match on the floor of the Minnesota House. I was disheartened to see this. Throughout my tenure at the Legislature, I have endeavored to stay above the fray of partisan bickering, and I remain committed to working with members of both parties to pass bills that will improve the lives of Minnesotans. 

Despite the unfortunate outburst displayed last week, I am pleased to tell you that common-sense voices remain on both sides of the political aisle, and I was able to work with my moderate DFL colleagues to pass key legislation during the 2026 Legislative Session.

Below are some of the most important bills that we passed this year for Minnesotans:

Anti-Fraud Measures

• Office of the Inspector General (OIG) bill: Establishes an independent, apolitical state agency to investigate and prosecute fraud. Minnesotans of all ideological backgrounds have expressed concern that our fraud epidemic was ignored by the Governor and Attorney General for the sake of political expediency, as these are both elected offices. This bill will eliminate that conflict of interest by giving the public peace of mind that their taxpayer dollars are being safeguarded by a nonpartisan entity.
• Take It Back Act: Will establish a 100% tax on state money obtained through fraud, to be imposed on individuals and organizations that have been convicted of doing so. The tax will apply to convicted fraudsters in addition to any court-ordered restitution that they may already have to pay. It also allows the Minnesota Department of Revenue to swiftly seize assets of convicted fraudsters (homes, vehicles, etc.) so the state can retrieve as much stolen taxpayer money as possible.
• Work Requirements for Welfare Benefits: Implements expanded work requirements for able-bodied adults aged 18–64, without dependents under 14, who use Medicaid programs. They must work, volunteer, or participate in training for at least 80 hours per month (roughly 20 hours per week) to avoid a three-month time limit on benefits. Able-bodied adults who choose not to work should not be subsidized by those who do.
• Tech Modernization: Allocates over $25 million to state and local governments for the purpose of modernizing outdated human services software. New software will include artificial intelligence mechanisms to flag statistical anomalies that indicate potential fraud.

Over $400 Million in Tax Savings

• $250 Million in Car Tab Fee Reductions: Car tab fees have been an increasing burden on Minnesotans. This year, House Republicans secured a one-time car tab fee reduction to help working families. We will continue to advocate for this one-year tax cut to be permanently extended.
• $125 Million in Property Tax Relief: Unfunded mandates on cities, such as Paid Family and Medical Leave, have led to dramatic property tax increases. Minnesotans should not be priced out of their homes as the result of unaffordable legislation. Again, this property tax cut is only for one year, but we will continue to advocate for it to become permanent next year.
• Business Tax Improvements: This provision brings Minnesota into compliance with recent federal tax standards and extends the Pass-Through Entity tax provision, providing hundreds of millions in relief for Minnesota businesses at zero cost to the state government.
• Ending the Ballpark Tax: Minnesotans will no longer have to pay this sales tax, which used public dollars to fund a private business.

School Safety

• Anonymous Threat Reporting System: Allows school districts to adopt a 24/7 anonymous local or statewide system for reporting dangerous school behavior, backed by $5 million in funding.
• School-Linked Behavioral Health Grants: Authorizes seed funding and mental health grants to expand the infrastructure schools need to deliver and bill for student behavioral health services.
• Mobile Crisis Units: Amends state policy to explicitly protect families by clarifying that all parts of mobile crisis services are fully exempt from out-of-pocket cost-sharing, co-pays, and deductibles.
• Anti-Grooming Legislation: Makes the sexual grooming of children a felony offense, establishes automatic teacher license revocation for offenders, and eliminates the strict three-year look-back window for state education investigations.
• Compensatory Revenue Support: Appropriates $10 million in compensatory revenue adjustments to provide one-time financial relief to school districts facing imminent budget shortfalls.
• All Schools Covered: All children in Minnesota deserve to be safe in school. House Republicans successfully advocated for this legislation to apply to public, non-public, and tribal schools.

Hospital Funding

• Hennepin County Medical Center Funding: Allocates $200 million from the general fund along with significant accountability and governance language to make sure HCMC is operating efficiently.
• Hospital Stabilization Fund: Establishes a new hospital stabilization fund to help hospitals across Minnesota in dire financial situations.
• Uncompensated Care Fund: Helps hospitals to cover costs of care for cases in which no payment is received from the patient or insurer. With the rising cost of insurance, this has become a significant challenge for hospitals, and this measure is meant to provide budget relief.
• Rural Hospital Funding: Increases Medical Assistance rates for rural and critical access hospitals, putting them on equal footing with the boost HCMC already receives.

Local Infrastructure Funding

Working alongside other legislators from our area, I was able to use my position in the House to secure $9.6 million in state appropriations for the environmental review, right-of-way acquisition, and final design of the realignment of County Road 19A and 100th Street South in the city of Cottage Grove.

As population growth in Washington County continues at a steady pace, it is my responsibility as your State Representative to look ahead at infrastructure projects that will keep our roads safe and efficient decades into the future. As affordability is also at the top of my mind, I am pleased to say that these new appropriations will prevent the city and county from having to raise property taxes to pay for the project.

Thank You

Thank you for your confidence in me to represent your interests at the State Legislature. I am honored to serve on your behalf, and I am proud of what we were able to achieve this year for Minnesotans. As always, please reach out with any questions or priorities that you wish to share with me.

I look forward to seeing you in-district this summer!

Representative Wayne Johnson

House District 41A

Serving Lakeland, Afton, Baytown, Cottage Grove, Denmark, Grant, Lake Elmo, Lakeland Shores, Lake Saint Croix Beach, Saint Mary's Point, and West Lakeland. 

Please Contact Me

Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. It's my honor to represent you at our state's capitol, and I always welcome feedback, ideas, or concerns from you and our community. Please send all replies to Rep.Wayne.Johnson@house.mn.gov, or call 651-296-4244, to ensure I get your message. Replies directly to the newsletter do not reach my inbox.

/RepWayneJohnson

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Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.4244