Dear Neighbors, We’re in the final days of the 2025 legislative session and continue to make progress toward building a balanced state budget. I need to first acknowledge the global budget agreement announced by the leaders of the House, Senate, and Governor’s office. We knew that with divided government, compromise would likely be needed. However, there is one area that is absolutely gut-wrenching. One party’s main goal, their number one aim was to take health care away from people. They were willing to not fund the state government, to shut down Minnesota government, unless they could take Minnesota Care away from people - people, who are our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers. This one party wants insulin to be taken away from people who do jobs that are essential to our economy. They want cancer treatment denied to the parents of our kids' classmates. In a time when groups of people are being targeted and scapegoated by the federal government, it is heartbreaking that our leaders felt this was the only way forward to keep our state running. The session is not yet over, and we will continue to push to ensure all Minnesotans receive the care they need and that our government stays open. Conference committees now have budget targets, which means House and Senate conferees are now sprinting to come to agreement. Our situation is not unlike that in 2019, during another time of divided government. That year, the global agreement was struck just a few days before the end of session. We’re ahead of that here in 2025, but we may be looking at a one day special session to fully wrap up the budget. A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the District 61 town hall meeting on May 4. We had an impressive turnout for a beautiful spring Sunday.  It’s apparent community members in our area are concerned about the onslaught of looming slashes to Medicaid, Social Security, and many other state programs that partner with the federal government for funding. Balancing a state budget amid the uncertainty has proven challenging, but I’m focused on moving forward to mitigate the harm of any local impact we could see in Minneapolis. Constituent Corner Thank you to everyone who has attended and participated in our neighborhood meetings this spring; your input has been very helpful and encouraging.  Bryn Mawr neighborhood gathering Thanks to Beth for coming to the Capitol to advocate for affordable housing in this year's state budget. None of us can be healthy and be at our best without a safe, accessible, and affordable home. We must do all that we can - both on the funding and regulation side - to make it easier to build more and diverse types of homes.  Budget UpdateAs I mentioned above, our work on the budget continues. Yesterday, the governor, and House and Senate leaders announced joint budget targets, or a global framework of how much we can invest and cut in each area of the state budget. To date, we’ve passed these areas of the budget: House and Senate Conference Committees have been meeting to reconcile differences within each budget area, and now with an agreement among DFLers and Republicans, co-chairs can move quickly to hammer out a budget. You can find a schedule of the conference committees and how to livestream them here. Last biennium, Democrats allocated transportation budget funds for a new helicopter for the Minnesota State Patrol. I recently had the opportunity to view this aircraft at the State Capitol and learn about its significance. This helicopter serves as a crucial safety asset by allowing officers to maintain aerial surveillance, reducing the need for ground pursuit and minimizing foot traffic for police personnel. This capability ultimately enhances public safety by decreasing potential hazards during law enforcement operations.  Five Years Later: Justice and Accountability for George FloydIt has been 5 years since Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, a tragic event that sparked global conversations about racial justice. Through Attorney General Keith Ellison's effective prosecution, justice was served when Chauvin was convicted under both state and federal laws and sentenced to prison. While there have been concerns about potential federal pardons under the current administration, it's important to note that even if Chauvin were to receive a federal pardon, he would remain incarcerated to serve his Minnesota state sentence, which would be unaffected by any federal action. I along with other Minneapolis House Representatives are in touch with the City and our state public safety agencies. We continue to monitor the situation, and its potential impact on our Minneapolis neighborhoods. Keep in TouchPlease continue to reach out anytime at rep.katie.jones@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9281. Direct replies to this email will not reach my inbox, so please send me a message directly using the address above. You’re welcome to follow me on my Facebook page or Bluesky account for more updates. Thank you for the honor of representing our Minneapolis neighbors at the State Capitol. Kind regards, Katie Jones
State Representative |