Legislative Update Dear neighbors, I hope you’ve been soaking up the sunshine and enjoying these warmer temperatures this week! It might be a little early to say… but I’m almost convinced spring is finally in full bloom! This week, we officially hit the halfway mark as we work toward adjournment sine die on May 17th—but don’t let that fool you, things are not slowing down anytime soon! Affordability remains front and center as we head into the second half of session, and I’m proud to say we’ve made some great progress this week. Let’s get into it! Driving Up Costs: The Tab Fee Debate You Didn’t Ask For A few weeks ago, we heard a pretty jaw-dropping comment from a first-term DFL legislator, suggesting that at some point she may offer an amendment to quintuple the price of car tab fees. Whether it was meant as a joke or not, I don’t think many Minnesotans found it funny at all. In fact, we’ve been hearing loud and clear from folks all across Minnesota who are already frustrated with how high their tab fees have climbed over just the past year. In a story from WCCO this week, one Minnesotan stated: “We paid the tab on it for the first time and the next year it was more expensive. The car depreciates, but the tax goes up? Really? Is that how that’s supposed to work? I don’t think so.” He's exactly right... Here's the reality: Minnesota is facing a very real affordability crisis. And, it’s our responsibility as legislators to make sure Minnesota remains a place where folks can raise their families, work, and most importantly afford to stay here; and I wish Democrats would snap out of this delusion that raising taxes across the board is at all a logical solution. I’m especially grateful to my colleague Rep. Patti Anderson (R - Dellwood) for taking those comments seriously—and more importantly, for taking Minnesotans seriously. On Wednesday, she introduced legislation to bring tab fees back to pre-trifecta levels and I’m proud to share in this effort by signing as a co-author on this bill. During the Democrat trifecta, higher tab fees were included as part of over $10 billion in new taxes on Minnesota families. Changes to the formula increased fees by roughly 20%, leaving drivers paying more just to stay on the road. At the same time, Minnesota’s tab fees now far exceed those in neighboring states like Wisconsin and North Dakota, who have a flat rate fee of around $85. Rep. Anderson’s bill would reverse those increases and return rates to where they were, delivering nearly $1 billion in relief to Minnesota drivers. relief Minnesotans are asking for—and deserve. I just hope my DFL colleagues are willing to meet them there. Common Sense for the Folks Who Feed Us On Tuesday, we celebrated National Ag Day, and it was great to mark the occasion alongside my friends from the MN Farm Bureau in Wright, Meeker, and McLeod County. It also gave me a chance to pause and reflect on something we don’t say nearly enough—thank you. Thank you to the men and women who are up before the sun, working long after it sets, doing the hard, honest work that keeps food on our tables and our communities running strong. That kind of hard work doesn’t get enough credit, but it deserves it—every single day. And that’s exactly why I want to highlight a piece of legislation from my colleague, Nathan Nelson—a bill I’m proud to co-author—that should have been an easy win for Minnesota farmers this week. House File 3508, fixes a very real—and very frustrating—gap in support for our dairy farmers. Here’s the situation: Minnesota created the Dairy Assistance, Investment, and Relief Initiative (DAIRI) to help farmers who participate in the federal Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. That federal program helps protect farmers when milk prices drop and feed costs rise—but farmers have to opt in and pay into it. The state set aside $3 million to support this effort. But due to federal timing issues, the program wasn’t even available during the years that funding was supposed to be used. So, this is where things get frustrating. Eligibility for that funding is currently based on milk production from 2022. So if you’re a new dairy farmer—someone who started after that year—you’re simply out. Doesn’t matter how hard you’re working, how much you’ve invested, or how tight your margins are. You don’t qualify. House File 3508 fixes that gap. It allows new dairy farmers to qualify using their actual production history through the federal program, not a year when they weren’t even in business. It also makes sure any remaining funds can still go toward supporting farmers moving forward. In short, this bill would help roughly 30 new dairy farms, real folks in need, who are currently locked out of a program designed to support them. This is really a simple solution, zero controversy. And yet, House Democrats blocked it. At a time when farmers are already facing tight margins and rising costs, turning away from a common-sense solution like this is a tough pill to swallow. I promise you, we will work every day to pass legislation that actually help Minnesotans. Because when something makes this much sense—and costs nothing to do—it shouldn’t be this hard to get across the finish line.  Healthcare Without the Headache In last week’s newsletter, I introduced you to my bill, House File 1724—so here’s a quick refresher with some exciting updates! HF 1724 is all about creating a more simple approach to everyday health care through direct primary care (DPC) service agreements here in Minnesota. At its core, direct primary care allows patients to pay a monthly subscription fee directly to their provider for routine care like checkups, basic labs, and common treatments. No insurance middleman, no confusing bills—just clear, upfront care. This legislation also makes it clear that these agreements are not insurance, helping cut through red tape and making it easier for providers to offer this model. And just as important, there are strong protections in place for patients. Agreements must be in writing and clearly spell out services and costs. Patients can cancel at any time, and providers are required to be fully transparent about what’s included. This bill is about giving Minnesotans more options and more control over their health care, while supporting providers who want to deliver care in a more personal and accessible way. This week, I was grateful to have Dr. Laura Slings and Dr. Leslie Surbeck testify in support of the bill, bringing real-world perspective to why this matters. Even better, it makes life more affordable for Minnesotans—and I was thrilled to see it earn bipartisan support and move on to the general register!  Revving Up for Riders: Bikers Day at the Capitol It was great connecting with the ABATE chapter from our district for Bikers Day at the Capitol! As a biker myself, there’s nothing better than being in a room with folks who truly understand the importance of advocating for safety on the open road I am proud to have authored legislation over the years, making a real difference for the biking community—whether that’s improving safety through lane filtering or tackling affordability when it comes to classic bikes and registration fees. All around, it was a fantastic conversation, and I’m looking forward to continuing this work together to keep Minnesota a top-notch place to ride! Wrapping Up the Week on a Warm Note!As we head into the second half of session, I hope you’ll continue to reach out with any questions, concerns, or ideas you have—your input truly makes a difference in the work I do here at the Capitol, and I couldn’t do it without you! And as we roll into the weekend, I hope you get a chance to soak up these warmer temperatures. We all know just how rare (and appreciated!) that can be this time of year in Minnesota! Sincerely, —Representative Dawn Gillman |