Legislative Update – April 25, 2025
Dear Neighbors,
In this morning’s radio interview with Rich Larson on KYMN Radio, I called in from Saint Paul because we’ll be on the floor today moving forward budget bills in major committee areas. I talked about the Agriculture Budget, which we passed last night on a big bipartisan vote, how negotiations are going for the House Health budget bill, and the Governor’s State of the State Address. You can listen to the full interview here.
I also talked about the House’s annual Arbor Day tradition, when my colleague Rick Hansen distributes tree saplings to members and staff to celebrate and honor our environment and the impact of trees.
If you’re interested in planting your own tree sapling or seedling this Arbor Day weekend, you can find guides and tips from the Minnesota DNR here.
House Passes Agriculture Budget Bill
We fought for a people-focused Agriculture Budget that feeds Minnesotans, safeguards workers and consumers from looming threats like bird flu, and supports small, emerging farmers in an economy tilted towards large corporations. I voted in favor of the 2025 Agriculture Budget bill, which passed on a bipartisan vote of 130-3 with 3 Republicans voting against (including our other District 58 representative, Drew Roach of Farmington).
The provision I'm most excited to see us invest in is additional funds for Farm to School and Early Care and Local Food Purchasing programs, which nourish our kids while also providing stable to local farmers. We’re trying to address the Trump/Musk cuts to these programs at the federal level, and while we can’t make up everything that was lost, we did do our best to support local farmers and local food.
We increased workplace protections for meat and poultry workers and ensured retail milk and poultry will be tested for bird flu. We’re also helping the next generation of farmers by increasing down payment assistance for those just getting started in agriculture.
Food grown in Minnesota feeds Minnesotans and people and livestock across the globe, and we’re committed to ensuring our state remains an leader in agriculture through innovation, sustainability, and resilience.
House Passes Public Safety and Judiciary Budget Bill
Today, I voted alongside my colleagues to pass the House Public Safety and Judiciary budget bill. Under Democratic leadership, Minnesota has become a safer state with improved outcomes in our justice system, and we can’t afford to go backwards now.
This bill works to protect our historic reforms, needed investments, and prevents regressive legislation, all while improving victim services, police training, and protections for judges-which is more important now than ever.
A lot of this bill was about stopping bad GOP proposals and maintaining our historic progress from the last two years, but we achieved some major new wins as well. This bill takes direct action to combat the chaotic actions of the Trump Administration that harm victim services and put Minnesotans’ safety at risk. By funding life-saving victim services programs that help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and other crimes, this bill is keeping Minnesota safe.
Minnesota Making Progress on Clean Energy
In 2023 and 2024, DFLers made generational investments in a cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient energy system, putting Minnesota on the path to 100% Carbon-Free Energy by 2040.
The latest Minnesota Energy Factsheet shows our policies are working and our investments are paying off, creating high-paying clean energy jobs, lowering costs for families, and building a greener future:
? A new record low in carbon emissions, cutting another 4% between 2023 and 2024.
? Residents and businesses have saved more than $307 million in energy costs from the Energy Conservation Optimization (ECO) Act.
? Minnesota is ranked No. 1 in Midwest for overall energy efficiency, and No. 10 nationwide!
Here at the Capitol, I’m dedicated to protecting our progress from those who are seeking to repeal the legislation that made this positive change possible.
Stay Connected!
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