Legislative Update Friends, The regular legislative session wrapped up at 11:59 p.m. on Monday night. While some good work got done, we’re not finished yet. A number of committees didn’t complete their work, which means we’re headed into a special session. We don’t have a date yet, but I’ll share more once we get clarity on the timeline. Despite the unfinished business, there were a few wins worth highlighting: Pension Reform After a lot of work, we passed a bill that makes meaningful improvements for our teachers, police officers, and firefighters. One of the biggest wins is that teachers now have access to early retirement at age 60 with 30 years of service. The bill also reduces penalties for early retirement and includes $40 million in new funding for teacher pensions, along with another $40 million for police and fire. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction. Cracking Down on Government Fraud The State Government and Human Services bills included some strong anti-fraud provisions I’ve been fighting for. That includes protections for whistleblowers and a new requirement for state agencies to report annually on how they’re addressing issues flagged by the Office of the Legislative Auditor. Minnesotans deserve to know their tax dollars are being used wisely. This helps restore some much-needed accountability. Human Services Reform We also passed improvements to our behavioral health and substance use systems. These changes help ensure people get the care they need when they need it. The bill sets clearer roles for the Human Services Commissioner, creates a new board to guide care programs, simplifies provider licensing, and updates civil commitment rules to improve care coordination while still protecting individual rights. Agriculture Bill Signed Into Law The Governor has now signed the agriculture bill. I’m proud of the work we did to deliver this. Rural communities, including the folks I represent, deserve real results. I’ll keep pushing to make sure future agriculture bills focus directly on supporting our farmers and producers. Montessori School Visit Finally, I had the opportunity to visit a local Montessori School this week where students gave presentations, including one about their state representative. It was a good reminder that our kids are paying attention, and it’s on us to leave them with a government that works.  Moving Forward As we head into the special session, I remain committed to passing a responsible state budget that respects taxpayers and reflects the priorities of Greater Minnesota. Thanks for the continued support. Representative Bryan Lawrence House District 27B |