Dear Neighbor,
The 2026 session came to a close this week. While I would have liked to have gone much further with tax relief, fighting fraud, reducing mandates, and making health care more affordable, we were able to secure some wins that will make help make Minnesota more affordable and ensure that the fraud is stopped.
Here is more:
Tax relief
In the final days before adjournment, we approved approximately $400 million in tax relief, with $125 million in property tax cuts and $250 million in car tab fee reductions. We also approved federal tax conformity legislation that helps Minnesota businesses by extending the pass-through entity tax provision, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in relief at no cost to the state.
Fraud
Addressing Minnesota’s $9 billion was my top priority for the session. Over the weekend, the House adopted Medicaid work requirements included in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill to create long-term savings, strengthen accountability, and help combat fraud. This measure builds on last week’s passage of a bill to create a new Office of the Inspector General and implementing additional anti-fraud reforms aimed at protecting taxpayer dollars and restoring trust in government. More work needs to be done to address Minnesota’s serious fraud problem, but the legislation we passed this session will take us in the right direction.
Counties
The House also passed major investments in technology updates for counties that are critical to protecting taxpayers, strengthening accountability and making sure benefits go to the Minnesotans who truly qualify instead of fraudsters.
Projects
And we approved a $1.2 billion infrastructure package that funds projects throughout the state. It includes $3.5 million to complete Lake Lillian drinking water and wastewater projects.
Bad bills
While I would have liked to have gone even further with some efforts, such as tax relief, it is clear Republicans restored balance at the Capitol after gaining a tie in the House. Not only did we secure victories, we stopped numerous bad ideas put for by Twin Cities liberals, including:
- Creating a fifth income tax bracket, which would drive away more high earners by installing the fourth-highest income tax in the nation.
- Placing a 1% wealth tax on all assets exceeding $10 million. Includes businesses, investments, homes, land, vehicles, art, etc. In effect, would allow the state to gradually seize farmland from working families. Would also lead to mass legal disputes over the proper valuation of unsold property and plummeting long-term business investment.
- Banning rifles and magazines with a capacity over 10 rounds.
- Limiting law enforcement's ability to protect their identities from criminal cartels.
- Codifying abortion up to the date of birth into the State Constitution.
- Requiring taxpayers to cover gender transition surgery for state employees.
- Withholding state funds from cities who refuse to fly the new and unpopular state flag.
Back home
As we put a cap on the 2026 session, I look forward to spending more time back home meeting with local groups and residents in the coming weeks and months. As always, your input is appreciated so, please, feel free to reach out and let me know how I can help.
Sincerely,
Scott