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






Email Banner




Dear Neighbor,

 

We’re in the last few weeks of the legislative session with budget bills starting to pass off the floors of the House and Senate. Once bills have passed, they will move to the conference committee process to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions. Here’s a quick update. 

 

*Mary Murphy Day*

On April 21st, the Minnesota House honored the late former Rep. Mary Murphy by observing “Mary Murphy Day.” Rep. Murphy’s tenure in office from 1977-2023 made her the Legislature’s longest-serving woman. The House also voted to establish the “Mary C. Murphy Library Construction Grants Program” in recognition of her strong support for libraries during her legislative service.

 

Mary Murphy was a wonderful state representative and human being. Mary had incredible persistence, determination, experience, patience, and legislative skill. She was trusted by Minnesotans in both parties; she had a reputation for fairness that was unassailable, and when she spoke, everyone stopped to listen. Mary approached her life and her work with kindness and integrity. She was a dear friend and mentor to me, and so many others. We miss her dearly, and we remember her and her accomplishments fondly.

  

Born and raised in Hermantown, Rep. Murphy lived in her childhood home – a “Jackson Project” house constructed during the Great Depression – her entire life. Away from the Capitol, she taught history and social studies for 33 years at Duluth Central High School. On December 25, 2024, Rep. Murphy passed away. She was 85 years old.

 

You can watch my remarks on the House floor here [ [link removed] ]. 

________________________________________________________________________



*Budget bills passing off the House floor*

Agriculture

We fought for a people-focused Agriculture Budget [ [link removed] ] 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 voted in favor of the 2025 Agriculture Budget bill, which passed on a bipartisan vote of 130-3.

 

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. We increased workplace protections for meat and poultry workers and ensured retail milk and poultry will be tested for bird flu. We’re also helping the next generation of farmers by increasing down payment assistance for those just getting started in agriculture.

 

Public Safety

Last week, I voted alongside my colleagues to pass the House Public Safety and Judiciary budget [ [link removed] ] 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 victims services, police training, and data protections for judges.

 

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.

 

Legacy

The Minnesota House of Representatives passed HF 2563 [ [link removed] ], the 2025 Legacy Budget Bill, on a bipartisan vote of 115-19. The bill invests nearly $777 million in Minnesota’s outdoor heritage, clean water, parks and trails, and arts and culture.

 

The 2025 Legacy Budget Bill makes investments in Minnesota’s natural legacy, directing nearly $162 million to the Outdoor Heritage Fund. This funding will help prevent the further loss of critical wetland and grassland habitats, 23,000 acres of forests across the state in general, and support the restoration and conservation of vital ecosystems across the state. In addition, the bill allocates over $303 million to the Clean Water Fund, with a strong focus on addressing nitrate pollution in Southern Minnesota. This bill also dedicates $130 million to enhance Minnesota’s parks and trails. The legislation invests almost $180 million in arts, arts education, and arts access to preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage, including the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Minnesota Historical Society. 

 

As more and more organizations receive word that their federal funding is cut by Trump, the funding that Legacy provides for Minnesota is crucial to preserve Minnesota’s way of life. While Minnesota will still feel some effect, Legacy’s funding will ensure our clean water, parks, conservation, and arts and cultural heritage of all Minnesotans will stay strong.

 

In 2008, Minnesotans voted to pass the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution [ [link removed] ]. Since 2009, the Legacy Amendment has generated nearly $5.7 billion in funding for projects.

________________________________________________________________________



*Minnesota Making Progress on Clean Energy*

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 Midwest for overall energy efficiency, and No. 10 nationwide!

________________________________________________________________________



As always, please contact me anytime with your input. You can reach me at 651-296-4280 or [email protected]. You can also keep up with what’s happening at the Capitol by liking my legislative Facebook page [ [link removed] ]. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Melissa Hortman








Minnesota State Capitol Building [ [link removed] ]

*Rep. Melissa Hortman*

State Representative

District 34B
 

Centennial Office Building
Saint Paul, MN 55155
 

651-296-4280
www.house.mn/34b [ [link removed] ]
[email protected]

facebook [ [link removed] ]   youtube [ [link removed] ]

*Manage Subscription*

Update Preferences [ [link removed] ]  |  Unsubscribe [ [link removed] ]  |  Subscriber Help [ [link removed] ]



________________________________________________________________________

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