Legislative Update: Key Budget Bills Approved

Neighbors,

This week we passed key budget bills off the House floor, including Environment & Climate, Veterans, Transportation, Housing, Education and Children and Families.

The State Government and Elections budget was also approved and I am author of one of the more notable provisions in the bill on early voting.

The Agriculture budget includes several provisions I authored, including funding for the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Biofuel Infrastructure Grant Program, and my bill aiming to provide our neighbors experiencing food insecurity with fresh, healthy food through local food banks.

These measures create a vision of not only where we see our state today, but where we see ourselves in the future. The House DFL is committed to improving lives, and once enacted, all Minnesotans will be positively impacted by these important budget bills for years ahead.

Video of all hearings and floor votes are available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel. 

State of the State

This week, Governor Walz delivered his State of the State address in the House chamber. The governor’s remarks were very optimistic, and I share in his hopeful vision. By working together, we have all accomplished many goals. Rep. Brand, his wife Genevieve, and I caught up with Secretary of State Steve Simon after the speech. You can view the full State of the State address here.   

The Community and the Capitol

Members of Isaiah visited the Capitol this week to advocate for their priorities.

National Prescription Drug Takeback Day-April 22

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 22 is the 2023 National Prescription Drug Takeback Day. If you are optimistic about spring and have started your spring cleaning, now is a good time to go through old or expired prescription drugs and dispose of them safely. You can search for a drop off location near you here.

Appointment to Claims Subcommittee

This week Speaker Melissa Hortman appointment me to serve as the House Chair of the Joint House-Senate Subcommittee on Claims. I look forward to this new appointment. 

Important Medicaid Information

During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, annual renewals for our public health programs – MinnesotaCare and Medicaid – paused. On May 11, the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency is ending and those on MinnesotaCare or Medicaid will need to update their information to determine their ongoing eligibility. If someone is no longer eligible for coverage under Medicaid, they should be able to get low-cost health insurance through the federal and state insurance marketplaces. You can watch a short video here for more information.

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Stay connected with the Legislature

The Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website here.  

I welcome your questions and comments anytime. You can send an email to rep.luke.frederick@house.mn.gov or call me at (651) 296-3248.

Also, please visit and “like” my Facebook page for more Capitol and community updates.

Thank you for the privilege of representing you in the legislature.

Sincerely,   

Luke Frederick

State Representative

District 18B – rep.luke.frederick@house.mn.gov
487 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-3248

Committee assignments:
Vice Chair: Human Services Policy

Judiciary Finance & Civil Law

Agriculture Finance & Policy

Elections Finance & Policy