Rep. Knudsen Comments on Outcome of Special Session
St. Paul, MN — The Minnesota House completed its budget work during a special session on Monday. Rep. Krista Knudsen (R–Lake Shore) highlighted key provisions that survived negotiations, while voicing frustration with the DFL's tactics and the broader challenges of legislating in a deadlocked chamber.
Rep. Knudsen authored multiple bills during the regular session, including one to increase criminal penalties for fentanyl exposure to children and vulnerable adults, and another to update the property tax exclusion for disabled veterans. While the final Public Safety bill includes new penalties for fentanyl exposure to children, protections for vulnerable adults were removed. The updated veterans tax exclusion was also stripped from the final Tax bill.
“These were straightforward, nonpartisan provisions that deserved to become law,” said Rep. Knudsen. “It's always disappointing to work so hard towards the passage of good legislation only to have it removed in the final negotiations. I am, however, thankful that we were able to elevate the crime of exposing children to fentanyl from a misdemeanor to a felony."
Rep. Knudsen did applaud the passage of HF 1 during the special session, which repeals coverage for undocumented adults under MinnesotaCare. The bill has cleared both the House and Senate and now awaits the governor’s signature. Enrollment will be halted immediately, and current enrollees will lose coverage on January 1st, 2026.
“Repealing free healthcare for illegal immigrants was the right move. Taxpayer dollars should prioritize Minnesotans first,” Rep. Knudsen continued. “There were some wins this session, but a great deal was left undone. I’ll stay focused on delivering for my district and pushing for serious policy reforms next session.”