Having trouble viewing this email?  [ [link removed] ]View it as a Web page [ [link removed] ].






CS




Dear Neighbor,

It’s the home stretch of the 2025 session, with budget bill season in high gear as we work to put our state’s next two-year spending plan in place on time and adjourn May 19 as scheduled.

Here is a look at the latest on that subject and more from the House this week:

*Ag bill passes House*

The House on Thursday approved an omnibus budget bill which combats infectious diseases in flocks and herds while eliminating wasteful spending and rejecting proposed fee increases.

Anderson co-chairs the House committee on agriculture, which assembled the bill with bipartisan collaboration. It spends $172.3 million in 2026-27 – a $17 million increase – to fund the agriculture section of Minnesota’s next two-year state budget.

One of the main goals with this bill is making sure the Board of Animal Health has the resources it needs to handle any future disease outbreaks. Our state has suffered bird flu in our turkey and chicken flocks. And now that the virus has shown up in cattle too, it’s even more critical that we’re doing everything we can to protect Minnesota’s livestock—and the Board plays a big part in that.

Some proposals NOT included in the bill also are important – especially fee increases the governor’s Department of Agriculture were pushing. Farmers and others in the ag industry already are facing serious challenges and we should not be adding to their burden with higher fees. There were proposals that would’ve hiked grain inspection costs by more than 200% for some elevators. That’s just not sustainable and I’m glad we were able to leave those increases out of the bill.

A conference committee now will be working to resolve differences between House and Senate ag bills before a vote takes place on final approval. With a 67-67 split in the House, bipartisanship remains a must this session.

*Healthcare expansion for undocumented immigrants more than doubles cost projections*

Minnesota’s expansion of MinnesotaCare to undocumented immigrants has far exceeded its original cost estimates, with enrollment numbers and spending ballooning beyond expectations.

Originally passed by Democrats in 2023, the program was projected to cost $196 million over four years. Now, with current enrollment, the price tag has soared to an estimated $550 million—and it’s still climbing. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 17,396 undocumented individuals are enrolled in the program—more than double the original forecast of 7,700. This surge in enrollment wasn’t shared publicly and only came to light after persistent efforts by House Republicans to get answers.

At a time when Minnesota families are struggling with inflation and rising costs, the state is now on the hook for hundreds of millions in taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits that were not transparently presented to the public.

Unlike other MinnesotaCare enrollees, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for federal funding support. Normally, the federal government covers 90% of program costs, with the state picking up the remaining 10%. In this case, Minnesota taxpayers are footing 100% of the bill.

Meanwhile, the state faces a projected $6 billion budget deficit. When Democrats controlled all levers of state government, they made a choice to prioritize free, comprehensive healthcare for those here illegally, putting essential services like ambulance coverage, rural hospitals, and emergency care at risk.

House Republicans are working to restore fiscal responsibility and put Minnesota taxpayers first. That includes legislation to fully repeal the MinnesotaCare expansion for undocumented immigrants, saving taxpayers hundreds of millions over the next four years and ensuring healthcare funding goes where it’s truly needed.

Look for more from the House soon, especially with a host of other omnibus budget bills set to come to the floor next week. Lots of work remains so we can get our new state budget in place and adjourn with our work done on time May 19.

Sincerely,

Chris






Facebook logo

 

/RepChrisSwedzinski [ [link removed] ]





State Rep. Chris Swedzinski
2nd Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55155
[email protected]
(651) 296-5374







________________________________________________________________________

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page [ [link removed] ]. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com [ [link removed] ].

This service is provided to you at no charge by Minnesota House GOP [ [link removed] ].

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Minnesota House GOP · 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. · Saint Paul, MN 55155 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]