Dear Neighbors,
With only 11 days left in session, we are working hard to negotiate and pass our remaining budgets. This has been an eventful session, full of ups and downs and plenty of surprises. I am committed to advocating for investments in our communities that benefit you and your family.
To all the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day! It looks like we’ll have some beautiful (and hot) weather ahead of us this weekend. I hope you get to enjoy it with friends and family!
House Tax Bill - Wins for Small Businesses and Disabled Vets
- The House of Representatives rolled out its 2025 Tax Bill this week. As the co-vice chair of the Taxes Committee, the bill includes versions of several individual bills I drafted this year.
- Notably, the Tax Bill includes two bills I co-presented with Republican colleagues this year. One would create a “vendor allowance” for small businesses to help offset the costly task of collecting and remitting state and local sales taxes. The second would enhance the homestead market value exclusion for disabled veterans and their spouses.
- The bill also includes provisions I authored to avoid negative tax impacts for survivors of abuse who have their coerced debt forgiven and to give counties the option of abating property taxes for land banked properties.
Protecting Public Funds - Important Bills Progressing
- This week I continued my focus on protecting public funds.
- On Tuesday, I spoke at a press conference highlighting the DFL’s work to make sure our state government is a good steward of taxpayer dollars, including my bill to beef up the ability of the Attorney General’s Office to fight Medicaid fraud and my bill to create an Office of the Inspector General.
- Yesterday, the Senate passed its companion bill to my Office of the Inspector General bill. While there’s still work to be done on the bill, the language that passed the Senate reflects months of talks between Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate. This is exactly the type of lawmaking Minnesotans sent us to the Capitol to do.
Family Promise Breakfast - Helping our Neighbors stay Housed
- Despite all the work at the Capitol, I still prioritize finding time to connect with our local community as well. For example, this week I attended the Family Promise “Share the Promise 2025” breakfast!
- Family Promise does fantastic work in Anoka County to provide shelter for those in need of housing and prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place.
- This type of work is critical as we are still in a housing crisis. I will continue to use my position on the Housing Committee to advocate for legislation which makes housing more affordable!
Stay in Touch
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at rep.matt.norris@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-2907. If you have a friend, neighbor, or relative who wants to receive updates about the Legislature, let them know they can subscribe to my email list here, and follow my Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent our community. Please stay in touch!
Sincerely,
Matt Norris, District 32B
5th Floor Centennial Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155