ST. PAUL – House Republicans eliminated free health insurance for illegal immigrants, made the largest spending cut in state history and rejected tax increases on Minnesota families during a special session Monday.
The special session was necessary after the legislature’s May 19 deadline to adjourn passed with less than half of the state’s next two-year budget having been approved. Rep. Paul Anderson, R-Starbuck, said the House was set back from the start after House Democrats stayed home the first 23 days of this year’s regular session.
“It’s been a challenge to find agreement on bills this year, with a tied House and a narrow, one-vote Democrat majority in the Senate,” Anderson said. “In addition, some of the bills are controversial so it’s taken this extra time to put them together. Of course, it didn't help matters that DFL House members missed nearly four weeks of session, either.”
After two years of Democrats in full control of the Capitol, Anderson said the new state budget shows House Republicans restored balance in St. Paul by gaining a share of power in an evenly split body. He said that was especially important after Democrats spent the $18 billion surplus, increased state spending by nearly 40 percent and raised taxes by $10 billion in the last biennium.
This year, Anderson indicated all proposals to further raise taxes on Minnesota families were defeated. Most notably, he said House Republicans prevented the creation of a fifth-tier income tax bracket ($8 billion), blocked the governor’s sales tax increase ($400 million), and stopped the expansion of sales taxes to professional services ($334 million).
Taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants is another issue Anderson said House Republicans worked to address. Enrollment and projected costs have soared since the expansion of MinnesotaCare to include people here illegally took effect just five months ago, causing sustainability concerns. The House on Monday approved a bill making adult illegal immigrants ineligible for the program.
The House approved 14 bills on Monday – most related to sections of the next state budget – after six other budget packages passed during the regular session. In total, Anderson said House Republicans delivered the largest reduction to government spending in state history with $2 billion in budget cuts and, overall, $5 billion less spending than the previous budget to help offset a looming $6 billion shortfall.
The agriculture bill was among budget packages that passed last month. As chair of the House committee on agriculture, Anderson said that bill most notably combats infectious diseases in flocks and herds and helps the state’s agriculture industry in general. It provides around $164 million for 2026-27 – a $9 million increase – to fund the agriculture section of Minnesota’s next two-year state budget.
“Minnesota is a powerhouse in agriculture and, overall, this is a good bill that will help the industry and be good for farmers,” Anderson said after the bill passed in May. “We had to make a few revisions from what the House had previously proposed because the spending total was reduced during the process. I’m particularly pleased we were able to maintain increased funding for the Board of Animal Health to help address outbreaks in our flocks and herds.”
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