A Disappointing End to Session
A Disappointing End to Session by Senator Paul Utke At the time of writing this column, regular Session has adjourned. Our constitutionally mandated adjournment date of May 19 has come and gone, and folks want…
Lieske: Two glaring issues with this year’s pensions bill
Friends and neighbors, I have received several questions about why I voted against this year’s pensions bill. I appreciate the chance to explain. The bill does take a meaningful step toward correcting some of the…
Sen. Mathews statement on Amazon data center suspension
Sen. Andrew Mathews (R-Princeton) released the following statement in response to reporting that Amazon has suspended its development of a data center in Becker, MN: “I’m incredibly frustrated that a major economic lifeline for the Becker…
Senator Heintzeman announces $3.5 million in water and sewer infrastructure funding for Crosby
State Senator Keri Heintzeman (R-Nisswa) announced today that the city of Crosby has been awarded $3,539,610 from the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (PFA) to support two major infrastructure projects aimed at replacing aging sewer and…
Heintzeman: Special session required after Democrats skip work
Friends and neighbors, The 2025 regular legislative session officially ended at midnight on May 20. It should’ve been enough time to finish the work on our agenda, but House Democrats refused to show up for…
Sen. Westrom, Rep. Anderson call on Gov. Walz to reopen the Appleton prison
Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Alexandria) and Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck) today sent a letter to Governor Tim Walz and Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell urging the state to seriously consider reopening the Prairie Correctional Facility…
Kreun statement on disappointing end-of-session: “transparency needed”
The Minnesota Senate and House both adjourned Monday night with numerous budget bills left to be considered. As a result, a future Special Session will be called in the coming weeks. Senator Michael Kreun (R-Blaine)…
Democrats Putting Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants Above Nursing Homes
Democrats Putting Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants Above Nursing Homes by Senator Jeff Howe I’m sure many have heard about Democrats’ inability to balance a budget – based on the $18 billion surplus being turned into…
A Tentative “End” to Session, and a Looming Special Session
As of writing this column, the regular legislative session has come to an end, and the announcement of a special session is imminent. While a handful bills got passed by our constitutional adjournment day of…
Nelson: Legislative session concludes, special session coming soon
Friends and neighbors, The 2025 regular legislative session came to a disappointing conclusion at midnight on May 20. The Constitution requires us to write a new state budget this year. Unfortunately, despite my hope and…
Jasinski: House Democrat delay leads to special session
Friends and neighbors, The 2025 regular legislative session officially ended at midnight on May 20. Like all of you, I was hopeful we could finish our work on time, but unfortunately, we’ll need a brief…
Lack of Transparency in Government
Lack of Transparency in Government by Senator Steve Green At the time of writing this, session has just adjourned. A lot of work is left undone. A special session is imminent. It’s just a question…
Capitol Update – On the Edge of a Special Session
Dear Friends and Neighbors, We’re still working to navigate the challenges of divided government and doing our best to build bridges where we can. I remain hopeful that we’ll find common ground, though it’s not…
Howe statement on “disappointing” end of regular Session
The Minnesota Senate and House both adjourned last night with numerous budget bills left to be considered. As a result, a future Special Session will be called in the coming weeks. Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville)…
Housley expresses disappointment over end of session: “Minnesotans should be frustrated”
The Minnesota Senate and House both adjourned last night with numerous budget bills left to be considered. As a result, a future Special Session will be called in the coming weeks. Senator Karin Housley (R-Stillwater)…
Senate approves bipartisan State and Local Government and Elections budget agreement
The Senate today approved the final State and Local Government and Elections budget agreement, Senate File 3045, on a vote of 36–31. The bipartisan legislation, crafted through a conference committee, reflects a collaborative effort to…
Senate approves bipartisan Human Services policy agreement
The Minnesota Senate today approved the Human Services policy agreement, HF 2115, on a vote of 55 to 8. The final legislation, shaped by a bipartisan conference committee, reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Minnesota’s…
Legacy Conference Committee Report fails to uphold the spirit of the Legacy Amendment
Today the Majority passed a controversial Legacy appropriation bill that failed to gain meaningful bipartisan support. The bill has numerous issues regarding what it includes and also what it excludes: Continued land purchases by the…
Senate passes public safety bill, concerns about prison closure remain
Today the Senate passed a public safety bill without bipartisan support after the last-minute decision to close the state’s second largest prison without a single legislative hearing was included in the bill. The decision to…
Senate approves Agriculture budget and policy agreement
The Minnesota Senate today provided final approval to the Agriculture, Broadband and Rural Development policy and appropriations package, HF 2446, with strong bipartisan support. Senator Torrey Westrom (R-Alexandria), Republican lead of the Senate Agriculture, Broadband…