Legislative Update - Passing Minnesota’s State Budget

Dear Neighbors, 

As I shared in my previous update, the Minnesota Legislature reconvened on Monday for a one-day special session to finally pass the remaining components of our state budget.

Not for nothing, I’ll note the budget bill I had a direct hand in crafting, our Agriculture Budget, had already passed weeks ago. Several other budget areas had Republicans dragging their feet and making outrageous demands, but those were finally reconciled. 

You can find nonpartisan summaries of the bills we passed on Monday here:

• Taxes
• Energy
• Higher Education
• Jobs, Labor, & Economic Development
• Transportation
• K-12 Education 
• Human Services
• Environment & Natural Resources
• Commerce
• Health, Children & Families
• Capital Investment

The majority of these bills are hard-fought bipartisan compromises, and a testament of our ability to work together. However, we set a regrettable tone on Monday by starting the Special Session with an unconscionable bill - legislation that would kick all undocumented adults off of MinnesotaCare, ending their access to life-saving healthcare.

I believe healthcare is a right, plain and simple. It’s not only good public health policy, but good fiscal policy. This legislation was a demand made by House Republicans who would otherwise shut down the government without it. I want to make it very clear that I do not support this legislation, and voted against. You can watch my remarks here.

Unfortunately, this bill passed the legislature as part of an agreement reached by legislative leaders and Governor Walz to fund the state government, and is on its way to becoming law. There could be no clearer difference in legislative priorities, with Republicans holding the state government hostage in order for this cruel demand to be met. It’s a move right out of the Trump playbook, and it has no place in Minnesota.

This bill was a shadow over our work, much of which was successful in protecting the hard-fought progress of recent years, but it does serve as a reminder that legislative wins aren’t set in stone. It takes constant work and advocacy to build the Minnesota we want to see. To that end, I am proud of what we protected at the legislature this year:

The work continues. 

Although the budget work is done for the year, and we truly begin the legislative interim, I remain your public servant. Always feel free to send me ideas, questions, or get in touch with issues most important to you.

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