Legislative Update – May 23, 2025
Dear Neighbors,
Shortly before our midnight deadline on Monday evening, the House adjourned the 2025 regular legislative session. The House and Senate passed many of our budget bills before that deadline, sending them to the Governor for his signature. However, other parts of the budget were still locked in negotiations, meaning we will have to return for a short special session to complete our outstanding work.
Before adjournment, we passed budget bills on Veterans and Military Affairs, Agriculture, Housing, Judiciary and Public Safety, and State Government and Elections. We also passed our Legacy bill funding projects that preserve our environment and arts and cultural heritage, a pensions bill to help our teachers, firefighters, and police, and a human services policy bill.
Special sessions aren’t uncommon in the Minnesota Legislature, especially during times of divided government control. In fact, the only recent budget year where we haven’t needed a special session was in 2023, when DFLers in the House, Senate, and Governor’s office worked efficiently together to pass one of the most transformative budgets in state history. Unfortunately, with Republicans at the negotiating table, they were able to stall progress, even on bipartisan budget bills, to attempt to repeal past progress and force a special session.
While we wait for final budget agreements and the Governor to officially call a special session, I’m focused on using this “extra” time talking to my colleagues and advocating for solutions to help strengthen our district and state.