Lawmakers returned to debate major budget bills, including bipartisan ag finance and public safety measures. Meanwhile, soaring costs for MinnesotaCare benefits for illegal immigrants—now over $550 million—are straining the state’s budget and overshadowing critical needs like nursing homes, schools, and emergency services, becoming a central conflict in Health Committee negotiations.
Bipartisan work continues in the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, where lawmakers united behind a proposal to support Minnesota’s veterans. The bill prioritizes suicide prevention, improves benefits for National Guard members on state duty, strengthens veteran skilled-nursing homes, and ensures proper recognition for those who served. Our veterans deserve nothing less.
Two major mandates—Paid Family & Medical Leave and required summer unemployment for school staff—are placing unsustainable burdens on schools, small businesses, and local governments. With a looming deficit and shrinking resources, these programs must be reformed or repealed. I’m committed to standing up for practical solutions that protect our communities.
As committee deadlines hit, lawmakers advanced a new budget framework that trims state spending and avoids tax hikes amid a looming deficit. I also introduced a bill to tighten oversight of tax-funded nonprofits, while other proposals addressed driving penalties, free college requirements, and restoring balance to the universal school lunch program.
Minnesota schools are sounding the alarm as costly state mandates push districts toward severe cuts and even statutory operating debt. Despite record funding, new one-size-fits-all programs are overwhelming budgets. I’m advocating commonsense reforms to delay mandates, restore flexibility, and keep our schools from financial collapse—before it’s too late.
Minnesota is facing rampant, multimillion-dollar fraud across state programs, with more than $600 million already confirmed stolen. From childcare to nonprofits to Feeding Our Future, oversight failures have enabled widespread abuse. I’m fighting for real accountability, including an independent Inspector General, to stop waste, protect taxpayers, and restore trust in government.
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