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Wayne Johnson 2025 Header




*April 25, 2025*






Legislative Update

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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I hope you and your loved ones had a joyful and meaningful Easter. As we return to work at the Capitol, we’re entering what’s known as “omnibus season,” when the Legislature begins to pass major budget bills that cover specific committee areas of state government.

This week, the House passed the Agriculture bill, and today we are debating the Legacy and Public Safety bills on the Floor. While there’s still plenty of work ahead, we expect many more bills to hit the House floor next week. After passing the House, these bills will head to conference committees, where members from both chambers will negotiate the final versions. That means these bills are still subject to change in the coming weeks.



Investing in Agriculture Without Adding Costs

I was glad to support the Agriculture Omnibus Bill on the House floor this week. Even though our district is part of the East metro, farming still plays a huge role in Washington County, and it's something I have a personal connection to, having grown up on a farm myself.

This bill puts smart investments in place, including funding to help the Board of Animal Health respond to livestock disease outbreaks. With recent concerns like bird flu and now cases in dairy cattle, we must be prepared to protect our food supply and support the producers who make it possible.

Just as important, this bill avoids costly fee increases that were initially proposed by the Governor’s budget. At a time when many are watching every dollar, I believe it’s critical that we keep costs from rising unnecessarily, especially for industries that directly impact our food and supply chain.

This is a good example of what bipartisan cooperation can look like. I’ll keep working to support responsible, balanced legislation that strengthens our state without placing new burdens on Minnesotans.

Shifting Costs onto Counties and Taxpayers

I’ve also been reviewing the Human Services bill closely and have met with several local and county officials about its potential impacts. What we’re seeing is deeply troubling.

Rather than responsibly managing the state’s obligations, this bill shifts major costs down to counties. That’s not a solution; it’s a shell game. Minnesotans won’t see fewer bills; they’ll just see them come from a different level of government.

This cost-shifting will inevitably lead to higher local property taxes, further burdening families who are already grappling with inflation and the $10 billion in new taxes Democrats passed last year.

Let me be clear: I will not support any legislation that passes the buck to our local communities. Raising costs through the back door is still raising costs. I’m committed to working with the bill authors to fix these issues, but if those concerns aren’t addressed, I cannot support the bill.

State of the State Address

Wednesday night was the State of the State address by Governor Walz. The best part was the ceremony part before the address. In second place was the shortness of the address.

We heard nothing new. Blame others and take credit for areas most people would not view as worthy of taking credit for. Walz used word play by saying "Structural Imbalance" instead of what we normally would call a "Deficit".

Leaders do not issue blame and provide excuses when they take an organization from solid footing to a negative footing. You may know why you are where you are. You take that information and move forward in a better direction. Leaders also acknowledge mistakes that were made and move forward with solutions.

My Republican partners and I are dedicated to moving forward with plans to fix our looming deficit. Many of us were not serving when the policies of the last two years put us here at a $6 billion deficit. Not all Minnesotans supported those policies, me being one of them, but that does not matter now. We must move forward to the best of our ability, own up to past mistakes, and get our state back on track.  

That’s what a leader does, but we did not see that from our governor on Wednesday.

In the District

Cottage Grove Arbor Day

Tuesday was Cottage Grove Arbor Day, and it was great to see neighbors and city staff out in the community planting trees and shrubs to help keep our city green and growing. I had the chance to take a quick break from the Capitol and join in for a bit, and I’m glad I did.

It’s always refreshing to step away from the legislative grind and spend time on something that has a lasting, visible impact in our neighborhoods. Events like these remind me how much pride our community takes in taking care of the place we call home.

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Bluestem Grand Opening

Trellis celebrated their Grand Opening of the Bluestem MF Senior Complex in Cottage Grove today. Washington County provided funding through their CDA and other federal agencies including HUD were involved. Seniors with low income will be able to afford to live here as it is below market value. Cottage Grove officials and administration need to be commended for their diligence and commitment to help seniors age in place.

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More updates are coming soon as budget negotiations continue. In the meantime, thank you for the opportunity to serve you at the Capitol.

Sincerely,






Representative Wayne Johnson

House District 41A

 

"Serving Lakeland, Afton, Baytown, Cottage Grove, Denmark, Grant, Lake Elmo, Lakeland Shores, Lake Saint Croix Beach, Saint Mary's Point, and West Lakeland. "

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