May 21, 2021
Legislative Session Ends with Compromise on Budget
The 2021 legislative session ended on Monday with an agreement reached on spending for the next biennium. Policy details still need to be finalized for a special session, but there were some major wins for the people of Minnesota in the agreement:
- Full conformity with the federal PPP loan tax exemption
- Full conformity with the federal unemployment benefits tax exemption
- Funding for our school budgets to keep pace with inflation
This agreement on spending is another sign that we can all work together for the good of Minnesotans.
Planning for a Special Session
The special session to finalize the budget will likely be held on June 14th. Many details still need to be worked out before then. Some of my major priorities are:
- Meaningful police reform
- Protecting our Clean Car Rule and our environment
- Protecting voting rights
Some of the biggest priorities I heard from you were on:
- Police reform
- Environmental protection and the Clean Car Rule
- Funding affordable housing
- Vaccinations
Thank you to everyone who exercised your civic duty this week. We’ll be sending these newsletters less frequently now that regular session is over, but we will still be keeping you up to date on the special session.
Agreements Reached on Policy
In addition to the overarching budget agreement reached on Monday, several other omnibus bills were passed by both chambers on Monday. These represented many of the areas of agreement on policy changes. Some of these items were:
- Passing the Energy Conversation and Optimization (ECO) Act
- Updating our medical cannabis program to include raw flower
- Protections against discrimination for people with disabilities in organ transplant decisions
Many conference committees also reached agreements on same and similar items. In education, a provision was agreed to which would limit individual-use screen time for pre-school students. This idea was originally brought to me by a constituent, and this just goes to show the importance of civic participation.
Rallying to Fund Our Futures
Last Saturday, I attended a rally focused on funding our future. I happened to run into Alicia Beaumaster, a former student, while I was there. She is now teaching in St Paul, and it was fun to share our teaching experiences.
We have seen during these past 14 months that the pandemic has hit hardest those who were already struggling. This rally was focused on updating our tax system to help get them back on their feet.