Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope this message finds you enjoying some of the brighter moments Spring has to offer. As we near the end of the busy 2025 legislative session, I remain grateful for the opportunity to represent us and even found a few minutes to grab some fresh air with colleagues (all former School Board members) on the Capitol’s 2nd floor Logia.
One of the most pressing issues we’re watching closely is the threat of deep federal cuts to Medicaid. This isn’t just a political debate happening far away; it’s something that will have a real and immediate impact on families in our community. Medicaid supports more than 1.4 million Minnesotans—from children and seniors to folks with disabilities and people working hard to make ends meet. One in four Minnesotans and 40% of children get healthcare in our state. If these proposed cuts go through in Congress, it could mean fewer services, longer wait times, or higher costs for the people who need care the most. That’s not ok.
At the state level, my colleagues and I are doing everything we can to push back and prepare. We’re working on policies to strengthen our health care safety net and protect access to care.
I’m also sharply focused on what these fiscal reductions will mean for our Edina and Bloomington communities, but our entire state. Everything from childcare to education funding, and ensuring our cherished seniors can age in place; it’s all on the line, and the decisions we make at the state level will have a local impact. To that end, I’d appreciate your feedback on this by filling out this mini survey.
Thank you for staying informed and engaged.
May 19
In our MN State constitution, the legislative session ends May 19 and we continue to pass our House budget bills off the floor. Due to the current reality of a 67-67 tied House, many of these bills include provisions I support and provisions I don’t necessarily agree with. However, I also understand that there needs to be compromise in order to pass a balanced state budget as Minnesotans have sent us to St. Paul to do. While I hope the budgets and policy changes can improve in Conference Committee negotiations with the Senate and Governor, I’m proud of the bipartisan work with colleagues for the bills that have passed so far.
Here’s a quick recap:
- An Agriculture budget that invests in Farm to School Programs, worker protections for bird flu, and supports new farmers with down payment assistance.
- A Higher Education budget that makes it easier for Minnesotans to pursue higher education and protects the North Star Promise program.
- A Transportation budget that builds reliable roads and sturdy bridges, invests in aviation infrastructure, and more.
- A Veterans budget that invests in those who served our country, especially focusing on reducing veterans' depression and suicides.
- A Public Safety & Judiciary budget that improves and supports victim services, police training, and privacy protections for judges.
- A Legacy bill that uses our lottery proceeds wisely to enhance our environment, protect our clean water, expand parks and trails, and celebrate arts, culture, and history.
- A Housing budget that takes steps to address Minnesota’s housing shortage crisis.
- An Environment and Natural Resources budget that maintains our groundbreaking protection of Minnesotans’ land, water, and air from threats like PFAS, nitrates, and aquatic invasive species.
- A Health budget that funds many of the pieces of Minnesota’s health care system, including hospitals, pharmacies, and emergency medical services, as well as child protection, child care, and early learning.
Bills
Flexibility for School Districts
It was a full green board (133-0) to pass HF1982 as a stand-alone bill off the House floor giving school districts more flexibility for when they provide pedestrian and bicycle safety training for students. Active Transportation Safety Training is important work we do here in Minnesota helping to keep kids safe, and I’m proud of the bipartisan work with Rep. Johnson to get this done and am optimistic it will pass through the Conference Committee.
Accountability
In addition, HF1999 passed as a part of the larger Public Safety and Judiciary Budget bill off the House floor, and has already been adopted by the Conference Committee. This bill addresses the high number of anonymous and obscure data requests made to government entities in our state, including public school districts, that never get collected. These onerous and unserious requests waste time and taxpayer money, and this bill works to course correct that practice. You can watch a video of me explaining the bill a bit more, here.
Safety in Schools
I am working on my bipartisan bill HF3220 with retired police officer and colleague Rep.Jeff Witte that would provide every school in Minnesota a critical layer of protection. The national standard recommends including a law enforcement key lock entry box (Knox Box) as part of a school’s emergency response plan. If (God forbid) we have an emergency at one of our schools, a Knox Box allows for rapid access for law enforcement to stop the threat and protect students and staff when seconds matter. The funds for this bill are remaining from a 2018 Safe School Grant. Here is a story about this work and a link to the bill presentation in Capital Investments.
Around the Capitol and the District
I was so happy to be part of Minnesota Literacy Day at the Capitol hosted by Decoding Dyslexia Minnesota. Investment in literacy for all students is critical education funding for Minnesota. Our kids deserve nothing less than the best
The Morningside Earth Day Festival at Weber Park in Edina had a great turnout! It was wonderful to see so many people committed to positive change. I was particularly inspired by the incredible student climate advocates. As one advocate said, "we are the ones who have to live with the choices made today."
I had a nice break from legislative work to spend time with a furry friend thanks to Three Rivers Park District. One thing we all agree on, Minnesotans love their parks, rivers, lakes and trails!
Always a great day when students visit the Capitol. Creek Valley Elementary School in Edina.
Graduation Rates Reach All-Time High
Graduation rates have reached a historic high in Minnesota, showing how impactful it is when we invest in our schools and our kids. While we still have work to get to nation-leading education outcomes for all student groups, I find encouragement in this data and will continue to push for stabilizing education funding in our state so each and every student can thrive.
Graduation!
When we have a part-time legislature, the schedule becomes more unpredictable near the end of session because of the crunched timelines. I was particularly grateful for this past weekend’s open calendar allowing for an important trip to Ohio to see my son Sam graduate from the University of Dayton (my alma mater).
Stay Connected
As always, I can be reached by email at rep.julie.greene@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-4363 with any questions or thoughts you’d like to share. To receive my legislative updates on a regular basis, please subscribe here. I also invite you to follow my Facebook page here.
Thank you for staying engaged. Together, we’ll keep advocating for the values and stability that Minnesotans deserve.
As always, it is an honor to represent you and our communities in St. Paul.
Sincerely,
Julie Greene, District 50A
5th Floor Centennial Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155