Legislative Update: May 2, 2025
Dear Neighbors -
The weather is getting warmer by the week, and as we trade April showers for May flowers. It was great seeing some of you at the annual Minneapolis Arbor Day Celebration last week at Kenny Park and I look forward to seeing more of you out and about in our beautiful South Minneapolis district.
Town Hall Recap
I wanted to start with a quick recap and update of the conversations we’ve been having with all of you to guide our final weeks of session and beyond. In the last two weeks, we’ve hosted town halls and community conversations to listen to our residents about what’s important to you. I was inspired to see the huge turnout at the “From Paychecks to Healthcare” Town Hall that legislators hosted with Rep. Ilhan Omar. We had over 500 Minneapolis neighbors show up in person and more tuned in online to participate in our Democracy and send a message to D.C. that we will stand up for the rights and freedoms of our communities.
Minnesotans all across the state are standing up against the chaos and cruelty of the Trump administration, and we’re fighting every day to protect people from his corrupt, cruel and damaging agenda. You can watch that Town Hall, and my comments here.
We also held our April Senate District 63 Town Hall with myself, Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura, Sen. Zaynab Mohamed with special guest Attorney General Keith Ellison.
We talked about how the Minnesota Legislature and the Attorney General’s Office are working together to protect Minnesota workers and residents from the Trump/Musk administration, and how we’re winning in the courts and in the legislature to protect Minnesotans and our communities from the harm of the actions of the Trump Administration and the MAGA Congress.
Fighting for a Budget that Protects Minnesotans
We have a choice in front of us this legislative session: We can choose to act decisively to protect Minnesotans from the cruel, chaotic, and corrupt cuts of the Trump/Musk administration, or we can stick our heads in the sand while people get hurt.
I stood last week with Minnesotans and elected officials to call for a state budget that protects our communities, and doesn't sell off our health care, veterans' benefits, food programs, and more to Trump and Musk's billionaire buddies. And I'm calling on all elected officials here in Minnesota to fight for their constituents and do the same. You can watch my comments here.
Minnesota Republicans Stand with Musk’s Election Interference
Yesterday we passed the State Government and Election Budget bill. During Floor debate, I proposed an amendment that would ban Elon Musk and his billionaire friends from bringing their election interference “lottery” schemes to Minnesota.
Minnesota voters are not for sale, and this type of outright bribery has no place in our elections. Every single Minnesota House Republican voted against the amendment, signaling their loyalty to Donald Trump and Elon Musk over safeguarding the voice and the vote of their own constituents. I’ll continue to fight for provisions like this that put people power over big money. You can watch my comments on the Floor here.
Standing Up to Claim Sharks and Veterans Benefits Fraudsters
On Tuesday, the House debated our Veterans and Military Affairs Budget bill. We had the opportunity to pass a bill that stops the claim sharks who are cheating our most vulnerable veterans, and the House Republicans voted No.
They said no to a bill that I’ve been working on for a year, following the leadership of the Commander’s Task Force and the Department of Veterans Affairs. You can watch my comments on the House floor here.
Every Republican voted against accreditation, which is a top priority of veterans organizations, and would ensure our vets aren’t ripped off and those funds aren’t given to out-of-state for-profit companies.
I’m committed to continuing this fight in future negotiations, because our veterans deserve to be protected against fraud, and our public dollars should go to the benefits veterans earned, not private profit.
Budget Bill Update
We have reached a busy time of the Legislative Session, spending our days passing budget bills on the House Floor. This year is different from my past two terms in the Minnesota House because we don’t have a DFL House Majority that determines the terms and targets for the budget. Because we are in a 67-67 tie, both the GOP and the DFL are necessary to agree to any budget
Unfortunately, my Republican House colleagues are more interested in rolling back and repealing policies we passed in 2023-24 to protect Minnesota workers, turn the corner on climate change, and ensure every Minnesota kid has access to a great education, than they are in passing a state budget.
All session they have been fighting tooth and nail to strip healthcare, education, and basic rights from some of our most vulnerable neighbors and to carve people out of the economic security of Paid Family Leave and Earn Safe and Sick Time and unemployment insurance.It is unacceptable and wrong to balance the budget on the backs of Minnesota workers, families, and the next generation. I will not support any bills that rollback progress we’ve made for Minnesotans and I certainly will fight any effort to take rights and protections away from Minnesotans in exchange for simply doing our job to fund the state government.
As this is going on in the House, the Senate DFL-majority has their own process. Budget bills will meet in conference committees and we will spend the next 17 days negotiating for the final version of the state budget.
Here’s a quick recap of the bills that have passed so far and how I voted on them:
- I voted for the House Agriculture Budget that invests in Farm to School Programs, worker protections for bird flu, and supports new farmers with down payment assistance.
- I voted for the House Higher Education Budget that makes it easier for Minnesotans to pursue higher education and protects the North Star Promise program, including access for Minnesota dreamers.
- I voted against the House Commerce Budget because it repealed a 2023 law that provided seniors with…. While the bill provides some modest improvements to consumer oversight, rising homeowners' insurance, and experiences for those living in HOAs, we cannot go backyards on our efforts to unrig our healthcare system and the power of health insurance companies in it.
- I voted for the House Housing Budget that invests in building new affordable housing, provides rental assistance to those who need it most, and continues to take on our housing shortage.
- I joined a majority of my DFL colleagues in voting against the House Transportation Budget. This bill puts an unnecessary three and a half year delay on Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emission reduction laws that are essential to addressing climate change. The proposed budget cuts also funding for transit, walking and biking infrastructure which our neighbors rely on every day. I will be pushing to remove these harmful provisions in future negotiations.
- I voted for the House State Government and Elections Budget that preserves key services, invests in the Attorney General’s capacity to fight consumer and medicaid fraud, supports the state workers who make Minnesota work, and supports healthy aging.
- I voted for the House Public Safety & Judiciary Budget that improves and supports victim services, police training, and privacy protections for judges.
- I voted for the Veterans Budget for the investments it makes in reducing veterans' depression and suicides, but have serious concerns about the cuts it made to our nation-leading efforts to end veterans' homelessness. I will be working hard to ensure those cuts are reversed when the bill comes back from negotiations with the Senate and the Governor.
- I voted for the House Legacy Bill that serves as the antidote to Trump’s attacks on arts, culture, and history. This bill uses our lottery proceeds wisely to enhance our environment, protect our clean water, expand parks and trails, and celebrate Minnesota’s inclusive, multicultural, and multi-racial arts, culture, and history.
As I said above, these bills are the result of compromise between DFLers and Republicans due to the 67-67 tie, and many of these bills include provisions that I disagree with.
DFLers in the House and Senate are continuing to fight for a budget that protects Minnesota workers and families from the worst impacts of the Trump Administration, preserves the progress we made last term, and strengthens our state.
Rest assured, I am using all the power I have to work with members of the House, Senate, and the Governor to improve these bills for our communities and our state.
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