There is no doubt the 2025 legislative session and events surrounding it will go down as arguably the most memorable ever for any number of reasons: a statistical tie between Republicans and Democrats in the Minnesota House; House Democrats refusing to show up for work for weeks; a state senator convicted of burglarizing her stepmother; and a lunatic targeting state lawmakers in their homes, which led to a tragic conclusion.
No one who was a part of this session will ever forget it.
The most devastating news should be addressed first. The assassination of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and shooting of Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette are unbelievable, senseless atrocities committed by a madman that are unacceptable in our world. The political arena is never a place for violence; it is a place to share ideas and work out your differences. I continue to pray for their families, and hope you are as well.
Just days before this horrific attack, a special session of the legislature concluded that enabled lawmakers to approve portions of the state budget that had not been passed before the regular session adjourned. House Democrats sat out for nearly a month at the start of session after they lost the majority, which is a top reason the legislature failed to finish its work on time.
The new budget provides the largest cut to government spending in state history. It eliminates nearly half of the projected budget deficit Democrats created when they grew government by 40% and raised taxes by $10 billion two years ago. No Minnesota family will see a sales or income tax increase.
We also passed a new law that ends free health insurance for adult illegal aliens. Projected costs skyrocketed for this Democrat brainchild after enrollment nearly tripled above estimates. With taxpayers paying out – at a minimum - $550 million for this program, changes had to be made. Thankfully, they were.
Fraud within state government was finally given the legislative attention it deserves, but not without a struggle. The Walz administration and his legislative supporters have been extremely slow in recognizing this taxpayer theft occurring on their watch. Recently, U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said Minnesota government fraud could exceed more than $1 billion, so clearly there’s more work to be done.
Though session is over, I continue to have a full plate at the State Capitol. In addition to the four House committees – Agriculture Finance and Policy; Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy; Human Services Finance and Policy; Rules and Legislative Administration – on which I serve, I am also a member of the Legislative Audit Commission, the Subcommittee on Minnesota Water Policy, and the Clean Water Council.
As a farmer, I believe serving on the ag and environment committees dovetails well in our district. Having served on the Winona County Board for 10 years, I was also able to provide input as to how passing state regulatory costs onto our counties would be detrimental to local property taxpayers. By the end of session, we had stopped numerous of these proposals from becoming law.
Serving as your state representative is a job I take seriously. It is not a 5 month job for me and I do not wait until the next session to continue working for you. With that said, I value your input and encourage you to reach out any time with your legislative questions and concerns. I can be reached at rep.steven.jacob@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651.296.2273. I look forward to hearing from you!