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Dear Neighbors,

This week, we returned from our legislative break rested and ready to end strong. It’s been an unconventional session, but our work is coming together as we start the process of passing our budget proposals off the House Floor.

So far, we’ve passed the House’s Agriculture budget [ [link removed] ], and by the end of the day today we’re expected to pass our Legacy [ [link removed] ], Public Safety, and Judiciary [ [link removed] ] budgets as well. With the House being tied, these bills are looking quite a bit different than the House’s budget bills from the last few years. With GOP and DFL co-authors, these are compromise bills. Far from perfect, but at the end of the day they get the job done.

I should note these aren’t our final budgets just yet. Once our budget proposals pass the House, we’ll then work with our colleagues in the Senate to hammer out the differences between each chamber’s bills and pass them a final time before sending them to Governor Walz. With the Senate having a slim DFL majority and vastly different bills in some areas, the final versions could end up quite different. 

In the remaining weeks, I’ll be doing my best to ensure our final budget is one that meaningfully invests in Minnesotans and puts our state on strong footing to respond to the chaos coming from the Trump administration. 

 

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Our Housing Budget*

We won’t be voting on our Housing budget proposal until next week, but I wanted to provide you with a preview of what we’ve been working on. As Co-Chair of the Housing Committee, alongside my GOP Co-Chair Rep. Spencer Igo, I’m proud to say our committee has proven to be one of those areas where significant progress can still be accomplished when we work together.

Not much else can go right if you don’t have a safe and secure place to call home, which is why I’m so proud we were able to put some meaningful investments towards ensuring that reality for more Minnesotans. Our bill invests over $31 million in emergency rental assistance, $45 million towards the construction of new single-family homes, and authorizes $100 million in Housing Infrastructure Bonds to fund the construction and renovations of affordable homes all over the state.

You can read more about our proposal here [ [link removed] ]. Like I said up top, this is not the final budget. I expect it to pass the House, but we’re simply coming at this budget from a different place when compared to the Senate. The good news is I know we all want to put forward the best possible Housing budget, and we’ve got time to get that done. 

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Minnesota Making Progress on Clean Energy *

Even as we work to pass our new budget, our progress from the last few years is still taking shape. In 2023 and 2024, DFLers made generational investments in a cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient energy system, putting Minnesota on the path to 100% Carbon-Free Energy by 2040. 

The latest Minnesota Energy Factsheet [ [link removed] ] shows our policies are working and our investments are paying off, creating high-paying clean energy jobs, lowering costs for families, and building a greener future:


* A new record low in carbon emissions, cutting another 4% between 2023 and 2024.
* Residents and businesses have saved more than $307 million in energy costs from the Energy Conservation Optimization (ECO) Act.
* Minnesota is ranked No. 1 in the Midwest for overall energy efficiency, and No. 10 nationwide!

Here at the Capitol, I’m dedicated to protecting our progress from those who are seeking to repeal the legislation that made this positive change possible.

If you have any questions about the bills we’re working on, or the impact of laws we’ve already passed, always feel free to reach out.

In partnership,

 

Michael Howard








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