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Dear neighbors,
Last night, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the 2025 Agriculture Budget bill, which I co-authored with my Agriculture Committee co-chair, Republican Paul Anderson.
We fought for a people-focused Agriculture Budget that feeds Minnesotans, safeguards workers and consumers from looming threats like bird flu, and supports small, emerging farmers in an economy tilted towards large corporations. I’m glad to report that the bill passed on a bipartisan 130-3 vote, with 3 Republicans voting against. You can watch my closing comments here.
This bill was a product of compromise. Rep. Anderson didn’t get everything he wanted, and neither did I. In our negotiations with Republicans, DFLers won:
- Increases in funding for Farm to School and Early Care and Local Food Purchasing programs, which nourish our kids while also providing stability to local farmers.
- Increased workplace protections for meat and poultry workers and ensured retail milk and poultry will be tested for bird flu.
- Helping the next generation of farmers by increasing down payment assistance for those just getting started in agriculture.
- Investments in a science-based, research-based foundation for future work addressing PFAS contamination, researching prions, and protecting pollinators.
 I look forward to bringing this bill to the Senate and the Governor and continuing to advocate for a people-focused agriculture budget.
Today is Arbor Day, a day to celebrate trees and recognize the deep impact they have on our environment. We started celebrating Arbor Day early, with bipartisan legislators and staff meeting to prepare Red Oak, White Pine, and Black Cherry saplings for distribution later today on the House Floor.
This yearly bipartisan House tradition has been celebrated around Arbor Day for over 40 years. As members return to their districts for the weekend, it is a perfect time to remember the importance of the environment and the impact our work at the Capitol has on the natural world.
If you’re interested in planting your own tree sapling over this Arbor Day weekend, you can find planting guides and tips from the Minnesota DNR here.
Today, I voted alongside my colleagues to pass the House Public Safety and Judiciary budget bill. Under Democratic leadership, Minnesota has become a safer state with improved outcomes in our justice system, and we can’t afford to go backwards now. This bill works to protect our historic reforms, needed investments, and prevents regressive legislation, all while improving victim services, police training, and protections for judges.
A lot of this bill was about stopping bad GOP proposals and maintaining our historic progress from the last two years, but we achieved some major new wins as well. This bill takes direct action to combat the chaotic actions of the Trump Administration that harm victim services and put Minnesotans’ safety at risk. By funding life-saving victim services programs that help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and other crimes, this bill is keeping Minnesota safe.
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and feedback throughout the year. You can reach me by email at [email protected] or by phone at 651-296-6828.
For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these regular legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative
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