Legislative Update - Special Session

Dear Neighbors, 

The regular 2025 Legislative Session ended on Monday, but our work isn’t done. While many of us were focused on getting as much of our work done as possible leading up to Monday, it soon became evident that House Republicans didn’t have the same sense of urgency - stalling completed bills, ending floor sessions early, and jamming up the process with last-second demands. 

I was incredibly disheartened to see the bipartisanship we practiced in the Committee process evaporate on the House Floor. I try to remain balanced when critiquing my colleagues across the aisle, but the fact is only one side of the House engaged in such partisan political games, while the other remained steadfast in the goal of funding our government. I had hoped for better.

Even with Republican obstruction, we still managed to pass several key bills, including budgets for Veterans and Military Affairs (which included my legislation funding a Meals on Wheels program for veterans), 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 helping our teachers, firefighters, and police, and a human services policy bill.

We also managed to pass our Agriculture Budget, which I had the honor of helping to craft as an appointed member of that bill’s Conference Committee. Our Ag budget builds resilient communities, funds local food programs, and does its best to fill the hole left behind by federal cuts. You can catch my floor speech on our bill here.

But this list of completed budgets could and should have been much longer. Now, Conference Committees have been replaced by bipartisan working groups made up of House and Senate members, which are continuing our efforts to pass uncompleted areas of our state budget in an upcoming special session.

Whereas Democrats are fighting for a budget that puts the economic security of Minnesotans first, the House GOP continue their efforts to roll back hard-fought economic protections, even after settling these efforts in agreements between DFL and GOP leadership. As has been the case all year, nothing is getting passed without bipartisan support, and Republicans are running out of runway with their strategy of holding the budget hostage in exchange for their demands that do nothing to improve the lives of working families. 

Minnesotans expect a state budget that works for them, especially with the chaos and uncertainty at the federal level, and that’s what I’m committed to delivering.

At this point, we’re waiting for the work on our remaining budgets to wrap up before Governor Walz calls us back for what is (hopefully) a brief special session. While we wait, now is a great time to touch base to discuss what we’ve passed, and the work that remains. You can reach me at rep.david.gottfried@house.mn.gov or 651-296-7153. You’ll either hear back from me or my Legislative Assistant, Isabel. You can also follow along on my official Facebook page.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

David Gottfried

House District 40B