Week-in-Review Video
A message from your Senator
Constituents and friends,
As required by the state Constitution, our regular legislative session ended on Monday at midnight, but we did not pass Minnesota’s biennial budget in time – so we expect to return for a special session in June to complete our work and pass a balanced budget before the government shutdown deadline of July 1.
The Governor and legislative leadership in both the Senate and House finally agreed to a broad framework for the $52 billion budget on Monday morning, which is an important step towards completion. The most entrenched disagreements were smoothed over to some degree by the infusion of $2.8 billion in American Rescue Plan funds from the federal government, allowing us to increase spending on education and social services (albeit not as much as I’d prefer to see) without new taxes, but significant policy differences remain between the Senate and House versions of each committee’s omnibus budget bill. The conference committees will continue their negotiations over the next few weeks in preparation for our return in June.
The Senate Capital Investment (aka Bonding) Committee, of which I’m a member, has met several times in recent weeks to review technical changes necessary for previously-approved projects to move forward. However, those issues have become entangled in larger conversations regarding how federal funds will be distributed – the lack of guidance on the money that was sent to Minnesota has created some confusion and discord, especially since the budget target for bonding is one of the only targets that will be determined at a later date (the rest were determined on Monday as part of the aforementioned $52 billion framework). As a result, it’s hard to predict the prospects of a bonding bill this year, or what such a bill would include – large bonding bills are typically passed in even years, not odd-numbered budget years, so it’s unlikely that a bill this year would represent a significant expenditure.
The Transportation conference committee has yet to complete its omnibus budget bill, although its overall budget target was reached on Monday. Several identical, similar, and noncontroversial Senate- and House-only provisions have been agreed upon for inclusion in the final bill, but specific details of the budget targets are still unclear (including how federal funds can be spent on infrastructure and operating expenses), and numerous policy differences remain between the Senate and House bills – especially the Senate version’s numerous problematic funding transfers from the Trunk Highway Fund to the state’s overall General Fund, compared to the House version’s increases in transportation-dedicated revenue streams. I will continue paying close attention to the conference committee’s progress.
I introduced three new bills on Monday – two of them would provide bond funds for public works projects in Representative Kelly Morrison’s district directly to our west, and the third is for a sales tax exemption for building materials purchased by the City of Excelsior during construction of a new pavilion in The Commons park. Representative Morrison is hoping to negotiate their inclusion in final budget bills during the interim period between this week and our June special session.
Community News & Events
The Minnetonka City Council will meet virtually on Monday, May 24 at 6:30 pm. Agendas and viewing information can be found here.
The Plymouth City Council will meet virtually on Tuesday, May 25 at 7 pm. Agendas and viewing information can be found here.
COVID-19 Hotlines
- Hotline for health questions: 612-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903 (staffed 6 am to 8 pm daily)
- Hotline for school and childcare questions: 651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504 (staffed 7 am to 7 pm daily)
- Questions for workers and employers: 651-259-7114 or 800-657-3858
- Hotline if you experience or witness bias and/or discrimination: 1-833-454-0148 (staffed Monday-Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm)
Please don’t hesitate to contact me at any time with input, questions, or concerns!