 Dear Neighbors, With four days to go in the 2025 session, legislative leaders and Governor Walz announced a budget agreement yesterday that would balance the budget for the 2026-27 biennium and erase 90% of the deficit projected for the 2028-29 biennium. Now that we have this financial roadmap solidified, conference committees can tie up loose ends and pass final budget bills to be sent to the governor. Amid federal chaos and dysfunction at the White House, Minnesotans expect their elected leaders to work together, especially in times of divided government. By negotiating a bipartisan budget deal to conclude the work at the state level, Minnesota is demonstrating that governing is still possible even when we have major disagreements. Don’t get me wrong; there are definitely things I’m not happy about in this agreement. If we were in charge, this budget deal would look a lot different. I would do a lot more to lower the cost of living for Minnesotans who just want to be able to afford a home, put food on the table, and take care of their family. For my part, as the House Education Finance Co-Chair, I have been focused on getting a K-12 Education Finance bill across the finish line for the schools in our communities of St. Louis Park, Hopkins, and Edina, as well as schools across the state. We passed our the K-12 Education Finance bill off of the House floor this evening and will be working through the weekend to iron out the differences between our bill and the Senate Education Finance bill. Floor ActionThis week, as conference committees met while leaders negotiated a deal, we passed a few pieces of legislation off the House Floor. We passed the Health Policy bill, which expands the scope of practice for optometrists, allows newborns to be surrendered to some fire stations, removes a barrier to physician assistants to practice, and creates a path for nonprofit health care organizations to get capital funding. We also passed a bill that would replace the statue of Henry Mower Rice in the U.S. Capitol with a statue of Hubert H. Humphrey upon approval by the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress. The Humphrey statue would match what is currently on the Capitol Complex in St. Paul. Another measure we passed this week is the Claims bill, in which a Joint House-Senate Subcommittee on Claims decides which claims against the state should be funded. City Declares May 16th Paige Bueckers Day in HopkinsToday, the City of Hopkins proudly declared May 16th as Paige Bueckers Day! As someone who's followed Paige's career since watching her play in 8th grade, this moment feels especially meaningful. It's been incredible to witness her journey, and now celebrating her success in the community that raised her creates a perfect full-circle moment.  Keep in TouchWe’re continuing our work through the weekend. Please don’t hesitate to reach out anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions or input. Thank you for the honor of representing our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors at the State Capitol. Have a great weekend,  Cheryl Youakim
State Representative |