The 2025 session ended without completing key budget bills, while chaotic school policies and stalled reforms continue to harm students and teachers. Negotiations now shift toward a potential special session, where transparency and real solutions are urgently needed. I remain committed to fixing these issues and keeping Minnesotans informed.
The 2025 session ended with major budget bills unfinished, triggering a reset toward a potential special session. Despite a historic spending cut in the budget framework, lack of transparency and behind-the-scenes negotiations are stalling progress. I remain hopeful real solutions—especially for education—will advance soon and will keep you updated.
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.
The House voted on a bill to keep girls’ sports female-only—supported by all Republicans but defeated by one vote. I also advocated for key local water infrastructure projects and supported legislation to strengthen self-defense rights, reduce insurance costs, ensure tax dollars serve Minnesotans, and improve public safety.
Rep. Peggy Bennett co-authored legislation to ensure girls’ sports remain female-only, citing safety, fairness, and strong public support. The bill received a full House vote, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed—falling just one vote short. Procedural options may allow the bill to return for further consideration.
Peggy reflects on the importance of Title IX and her own first chance to play girls’ basketball, stressing that allowing biological males in girls’ sports erodes fairness, safety, and opportunity. She argues that Minnesota must protect female athletes by preserving the integrity of girls’ sports and the intent of Title IX.
Rep. Peggy Bennett highlights key legislative work at the Capitol, including restoring electronic pull tabs for community charities, advancing proposals to improve literacy and restore local control in health education, strengthening nonprofit oversight, limiting benefits for illegal immigrants, and bolstering anti-fraud and public safety measures. She also met with the Shellrock River Watershed Board.
Peggy Bennett highlights Minnesota’s growing public safety crisis, citing rising violent crime, depleted police ranks, and policies that prioritize offenders over victims. She supports a new Republican plan to strengthen penalties, increase accountability, and give law enforcement needed tools. Her message is clear: Minnesota must restore order and protect its citizens.
Dear Friends, This week, the Minnesota House finally approved a solution that fixes the problematic school resource officer (SRO) law that forced dozens of law enforcement agencies to pull SROs from schools statewide. Below is an update on this issue and a few other points as well. SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER
Is it appropriate for society to protect children from things like obscenity, pornography, and age-inappropriate extreme content and views? Should children be protected from this explicit material while in school? This week, in the House Education Policy Committee, members were introduced to the Governor’s new 2024 education policy bill. This bill contains
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