Late last night we concluded our one day special session to pass the rest of our state budget and wrap up our work for the year. The final bills we passed reflected our closely divided government in that they were true compromises; there’s some good and not-so-good mixed together in these bills.
The bill to kick our undocumented neighbors off of MinnesotaCare, a condition Republicans were willing to shut down the government over, unfortunately passed both chambers and is to be signed by the Governor. While the bill does continue care for children, it will kick off thousands of our friends and neighbors from quality and affordable care they rely on. No new undocumented adults will be able to sign up and coverage for adults will end January 1st. It’s costly, cruel, and just plain un-Minnesotan. I was a strong ‘no’ vote on it, and as soon as the DFL regains full control I hope to reverse it. Watch my speech on this troubling bill here.
The main theme of this session was DFLers standing up for middle and working class Minnesotans and the laws and programs we all rely on. In a time when the federal government is gutting programs like Medicaid to give multimillionaires massive tax cuts, we stood firm against state GOP attempts to do the same. We protected massively popular and needed legislation like paid family & medical leave, universal school meals, strong gun violence prevention laws, and so much more. In all, given the nature of the tie, I feel this session was a success and keeps Minnesota on track to grow and improve!
Happy Pride!
Happy Pride Month! Our wonderful and vibrant LGBTQIA+ community is a huge part of what makes our community and state so amazing. With increasing bigoted federal attacks, it's more important than ever that we stand up for and celebrate our pride in every member of our diverse community!
Lane Splitting and Filtering Begins July 1
Lane splitting and lane filtering for motorcyclists will be legal in Minnesota as of July 1, 2025. Motorists and motorcyclists need to be aware of this new law and how it will affect them to ensure it is enacted safely and respectfully on Minnesota roadways. It’s incredibly important to be mindful on the road, especially with these new changes. Lane splitting is allowed when two or more lanes of traffic are traveling in the same direction and traffic is moving. It allows a motorcycle to pass another vehicle in the same direction of travel and in the same traffic lane only under these conditions:
- At no more than 25 miles per hour.
- No more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in the relevant traffic lanes.
Lane filtering is allowed when two or more lanes of traffic are traveling in the same direction and traffic is NOT moving. It allows a motorcycle to move through traffic that is stopped, such as at a traffic light or traffic jam, only under this condition:
- No more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in the relevant traffic lanes.
Stay safe out there!
Disposing of Medication
During Minnesota’s last Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, over 5 tons of old medications were collected! While impressive, the next take-back day isn’t until October. To bridge that gap, MyOldMeds.com makes it easy for Minnesota residents to locate free year-round disposal sites across the state.
The site features 510 disposal locations in Minnesota, including 10 options in our community, part of a nationwide network of more than 29,000 disposal sites. By simply entering their ZIP code, residents can instantly locate a nearby drop-off location through the MyOldMeds locator tool.
Stay in Touch
If you have questions, ideas, or feedback that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Email me at rep.kaela.berg@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-5387. For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these regular legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Kaela Berg
State Representative