Dear Neighbors,
The 2025 legislative session is in the books. The House of Representatives is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. This means we had to work with both parties to get anything passed.
It was sometimes hard, and we had to be willing to compromise. I don’t love every part of every bill that became law. But I'm proud we were able to come together to pass a bipartisan, balanced state budget that supports Minnesota families and invests in our future.
My work at the Capitol always focuses on the issues that affect the daily lives of the people in my district. In my first term, it was successfully securing the $103 million needed to fully fund the redesign of Highway 65. Construction will start in 2026!
In my second term, I’m focused on protecting our neighbors in manufactured housing. Across the country and here in Blaine and Lexington, manufactured home parks are being bought up by private equity firms. These new corporate owners are jacking up rents and pushing long-time residents out with shady practices. By passing my Manufactured Home Park Resident Bill of Rights, we can keep these neighbors in their homes. I won’t rest until we do!
Lowering costs, protecting freedoms, and fighting to give you a fair shot to get ahead. That’s what governing looks like when you’re working for everyday Minnesotans, not the powerful few.
Here’s a look at some of what I’ve worked on over the past several months!
Pushing Back Against High Housing Costs - Putting People Over Profits
- I wrote the Manufactured Home Park Resident Bill of Rights. It prevents unreasonable rent increases in manufactured home parks.
- It also caps late fees, makes it easier for residents to buy their park, and adds new tools to enforce existing laws on the books that protect residents.
- I also authored these bills that passed into law:
- $4.5 million to build workforce housing across the state to increase supply
- New tools for land banks to develop and preserve housing and Main Street businesses.
Safeguarding State Funds - Ensuring the Proper Use of Every Tax Dollar
- It’s important to make sure public dollars are used responsibly. That’s why I led with Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate on fraud prevention.
- I authored a bill that creates an independent Office of the Inspector General to prevent and investigate fraud and misuse of state funds .
- I also sponsored legislation that boosts the ability of the Attorney General’s Office to fight Medicaid fraud.
Supporting First Responders and Public Servants - Helping our Helpers
- We’re lucky to have amazing first responders and public servants in our state, and I am proud that my colleagues and I teamed up to do right by them by:
- Making improvements to pension plans for teachers, police, fire, and State Patrol
- Establishing a pilot program for college scholarships for students studying law enforcement or who are children of a peace officer
- Changing the tax rules for foreign service officer pensions to match military pensions.
Promoting a Thriving Economy - Boosting Business and our Community
- These bipartisan ideas I led on will boost the economy of our district and the entire state:
- I secured $5 million for upgrades to the National Sports Center so it remains the economic engine of the north metro.
- I also secured $5 million for the World Junior Hockey Championships coming to Minnesota later this year.
- I got a version of my vendor allowance idea included in the House Tax Bill to help small businesses offset the cost of collecting sales tax for the state and local governments.
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