Legislative Update: April 11, 2025
Dear Neighbors -
It was truly inspiring to be with so many of you and our neighbors last Saturday for the HandsOff! rally at the State Capitol! There were over 43,000 Minnesotans in St. Paul and tens of thousands more who showed up around the state to protest the chaos, corruption, and cruelty of the Trump/Musk regime. Together, we sent a message loud and clear to Trump, Musk, and his billionaire DOGE bros: Hands Off Minnesota.
I was proud to speak at the rally about how the state is using the power we have to defend our democracy, fight back against the corporations and ultra wealthy, and put up a firewall to protect Minnesotans. You can watch my speech here.
As state elected officials, we don’t have the power to stop this chaos, but it is our responsibility to act to protect Minnesotans and our workers–which is exactly what DFLers in the legislature are doing. We are in the middle of crafting a state budget for the next two years, and although we don’t know the extent of the Trump/Musk chaos and cruelty, we are using all the tools we can to try and protect Minnesotans in the uncertain times ahead.
Protecting Minnesota’s Workers and Economy
That's why this Thursday I spoke at a press conference with my House and Senate DFL colleagues introducing several bills designed to protect Minnesota workers, families, and local businesses from the attacks they've been facing from Trump/Musk actions.
If you’re a federal employee pressured into quitting your job or fired, we want to ensure you have the economic security you deserve. If you’re a veteran fired by the Trump administration, we want you to come work in Minnesota. If you’re a small business owner or a Minnesotan that simply doesn’t want to break the bank when buying daily goods, we want to ensure Minnesota has an action plan about how to soften the blow from the impact of tariffs.
I also wanted to lift up the testimony of a small business owner who joined us at our press conference yesterday, which you can watch here.
I encourage my Republican colleagues to take their heads out of the sand and recognize the harm that the last 80 days of reckless trade wars, arbitrary mass firings, and impulsive economic retribution is having on Minnesotans. These Trump policies are bad for Minnesota and it’s time that Republicans stand up to their leader on behalf of their constituents and the 5.7 million Minnesotans that are being harmed. You can read more about our proposals in this Star Tribune article.
Veterans Day on the Hill
I was honored to speak at Veterans Day on the Hill this week and proudly stand with our veterans who put their lives on the line to protect our democracy and safeguard our freedoms. We owe the veterans the benefits that they have earned and right now, we are seeing Trump announce the mass firing of 80,000 federal VA workers who serve our veterans and administer their benefits.
Minnesota is home to over 8,000 federal workers at the VA, about a third of them who are veterans themselves, and these reckless and unnecessary cuts coming down from Washington D.C. will harm the care and services our veterans have earned.
Here at the state legislature, we’re fighting to ensure that Minnesota veterans get the benefits they’ve earned by putting a stop to the rapidly growing problem of veterans claims sharks who profit off of cheating vulnerable veterans and their families. My legislation slams the door shut on claim sharks and fraudsters that prey on our disabled veterans and requires anyone helping a veteran or their family with a benefits claim to be accredited by the VA. Requiring VA accreditation is the only way to ensure those who want to work with veterans are trained and qualified, able to access the VA benefits system, and accountable to veterans and taxpayers. You can watch my speech here.
I first learned about this predatory business model that is ripping off veterans across the country from Dr. Kristy Janigo over a year ago. As a county veterans service officer, she and her colleagues have heart-wrenching stories of vulnerable veterans who were defrauded with false promises of speeding up the process and guaranteed benefits -- for a price, often a cut of the back pay, time-saving compensation that these veterans earned.
If you are a veteran who served our country, you shouldn’t have to pay to file a claim for benefits you’ve earned. You shouldn’t have to give part of your benefits payments or write a check to file for benefits the taxpayers have appropriated for your benefits, not their profit. And you certainly shouldn’t have to pay for something the federal law says is illegal and that our VSOs, MDVA and accredited attorneys provide for free.
The U.S Inspector General for the VA, Veterans Service Organizations like the VFW and DAV, the Attorney General’s Office and the MN Department of Veterans Affairs have all warned of a rapidly increasing fraud scheme targeting Minnesota veterans. This year we need to ban this exploitative practice by passing my bill.
Fighting for Inclusive Democracy
The misnamed “SAVE Act”, that passed in the U.S. House yesterday, is nothing more than an attempt to grab power by suppressing the freedom to vote. Trump’s illegal Executive Order and the SAVE Act are clear evidence that if we let them, Trump and MAGA Republicans intend to rig the rules of our elections to silence voters and the public
This bill will disenfranchise millions of voters who don’t have a passport or birth certificate, and it presents significant obstacles for rural communities, young voters, married women and trans-folks and anyone else who doesn’t have their current name on their original birth certificate.
You can watch a video I made calling out this bill for the undemocratic power grab it is here, or read this press release from the Inclusive Democracy Caucus, which I co-chair.
Federal Funding Cuts
This week, Governor Walz announced a new dashboard Minnesotans can use to track disruptions and cancellations of federal funding and their impact on services available to Minnesotans. Federal disruptions and cuts so far include grants to track measles and avian influenza, provide heating assistance, and mitigate flooding.
Despite court orders prohibiting the federal government from freezing many funding streams, disruptions to federal funds have continued. Some disruptions are short-lived. Other grants and awards are abruptly canceled altogether, resulting in layoffs and fewer services for Minnesotans.
As a state legislator, there’s not much I can do to stop the Trump administration, but we are not without options when it comes to trying to shield Minnesota from the worst of the actions coming our way.
But in a tied-House, the only way to do that is with the partnership of Minnesota Republicans in St. Paul. And they need to step up and help pressure their Republican counterparts in D.C. to ensure that our veterans, our seniors, our kids and our communities get the resources they need from the federal programs that they rely on.
Stay in Touch
Thank you for your time, energy, and all you do to make our community a great place to live, work, and play. Always feel free to reach out to me with your input and ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. My email is rep.emma.greenman@house.mn.gov or you are always welcome to call me at the Capitol at 651-296-4200 and follow my Facebook page for updates.
It’s an honor and a privilege to be your State Representative. I'm very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together and look forward to the work we have ahead of us. Together, we can create a stronger, brighter future for all Minnesotans!
Best,
Emma Greenman
State Representative