Capitol Letter for May 17

End of Session News - MN State Capitol

Conference Committees are continuing to meet and bring omnibus bills up for floor votes before Constitutional Adjournment on May 19. The MN Governor can call Legislators back into special session if they have not passed a state budget by that time. As you will see below, Legislative Leaders and Governor Walz came to a budget agreement this week, but negotiations are ongoing to address legislator’s concerns and meet the Committee targets.

This week, LWVMN sent a letter to the Governor and Legislative Leaders regarding the need to "pump the brakes" until we have fully considered the environmental, fiscal and local impacts of Data Centers in our state. Also, there were commentaries published on the End of Life Options Act (a LWVMN priority) & Net Metering (supported by the Minnesota Environmental Partnership).

• House News (ongoing coverage of what’s in each bill at the Capitol)

• Minnesota lawmakers strike budget deal, protest erupts on ending health care for undocumented adults (MN Star Tribune)

• Here are 5 key takeaways from the Minnesota legislative leaders’ budget agreement (Minnesota Reformer)

• Budget breakthrough? What Gov. Walz and the Legislature did and didn’t accomplish (MinnPost)

• Budget pact will be put to test as Minnesota lawmakers fill in details, bring plan up for votes (MPR News)

Please learn more at our Legislative Session 2025 webpage.

News Relating to Federal Action

The Republican controlled Congress released their budget resolution this week which begins a months long process that will have lasting impacts on our state budget and communities.

Please take a few minutes to Tell Congress Not to Cut Medicaid and share. We must also make our voices heard to protect nonprofits. From NonprofitVOTE, section 112209 of the budget reconciliation bill would grant the Treasury Secretary and the President broad and unchecked power to strip any nonprofit of their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by designating the organization as "terrorist supporting". Please continue referencing our Take Action webpage for updates and resources to stay engaged on these and other issues.

• D.C. Memo: SCOTUS hears Minnesota challenge to Trump’s end to birthright citizenship; Steve Simon pans GOP bill as ‘threat to freedom’ (MinnPost)

• ‘Extreme and toxic’: Democrats in Congress mount opposition to GOP tax cut package (Minnesota Reformer)

• Hunger advocates: 150,000 Minnesotans could be affected by House GOP’s $300 billion in food stamp cuts (MinnPost)

• Minnesota, 19 other states sue Trump over funding cut threats, ‘creeping authoritarianism’ (MinnPost)

• Trump’s USDA tried to erase climate data. This lawsuit forced it back online. (MinnPost)

• What the EPA’s partial rollback of the ‘forever chemical’ drinking water rule means (MinnPost)

• Minnesota conservationists sound alarm on mounting threats to Boundary Waters (MinnPost)

• Science on hold — how federal cuts are shaking up university research (MN Daily)