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Backer




*June 11, 2025*






Correction: we cut the budget by 8% from 72 billion to 66 billion.

Closing Time - The Backer Tracker

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We officially wrapped up special session on Monday and I am happy to report that we cut the budget by 8% from 72 billion to 66 billion. We cut the deficit from 6 billion to 3 billion, and we created the first fraud committee, with tighter parameters for grant appropriations and vetting.

It was an honor to be the chief author of House File 1, which successfully removed state-funded health care for undocumented adults. This critical move helps protect Minnesota’s Health Care Access Fund, ensuring resources remain available for lawful Minnesotans with disabilities and those relying on programs like Medicaid.

The bill passed the House 68-65, and I was proud to stand up for sustainable, responsible healthcare for Minnesotans.

Click here [ [link removed] ] to watch the video below. 

backer

We also passed the health bill off the floor. One of the major provisions in the bill was funding to help struggling hospitals and EMS, particularly in greater Minnesota, we secured a budget-neutral fix to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates and delivered over $30 million in new funding for emergency medical services statewide. 

As a volunteer EMT, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges our rural emergency medical services face every day. These investments mean faster response times, better-equipped first responders, and ultimately, more lives saved. I’m proud that this bill recognizes the urgent needs of rural Minnesota and takes meaningful action to support the people on the front lines of emergency care.    

We also secured support for independent pharmacies. Including increasing dispensing payments and initiating a transition to a single Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) for public programs. This reform helps independent pharmacies, especially in underserved communities, stay open and serve local families. 

The Legislation also rolled back $1 million in abortion-related grants for 2026–2027 and blocked costly proposals that threatened hospitals and patients.  

This bill reflects our commitment to protecting access to care while ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. From keeping hospitals open and ambulances running, to supporting local pharmacies and putting Minnesotans first in our public programs, House Republicans delivered real results for the people of Minnesota.

Some of the other bills we passed during the special session included: 

*Commerce Finance* 


* Blocked healthcare mandates and continued to fund reinsurance. 

*Human Services Finance* 


* Addresses potential fraud by billing practices for substance use disorder providers based on length of service time and rejected costly shifts to counties in waiver rate exceptions.  

*Education Finance and Policy* 


* Reaffirms our commitment to educational choice by protecting non-public pupil aid and enshrines the Science of Reading language into standards, a proven strategy for literacy. 
* Provides meaningful relief for schools that have been struggling with the many mandates that were passed last year, which have pulled funds and attention away from students in the classroom. 

*Transportation Finance* 


* There were no cuts to state road construction and maintenance; instead, the bill made cuts to expensive and inefficient train lines such as the Blue Line. 

*Tax Bill* 


* No tax increases for Minnesotan families, specifically in income tax rates or the general sales tax rate. We were able to protect LGA and CPA. 

*Bonding GO and Cash Bills* 


* Provides $206 million for clean water and drinking water projects as well as $86.5 million for roads and bridges, including funding for projects in Greater Minnesota. 

*Environment Finance* 


* Reduces fishing license fees for disabled veterans, makes the bass fishing season continuous, and includes meaningful permitting reform.  The permitting reform will modify the current MPCA permitting process to make it easier for businesses to navigate with certainty, from firm timelines to clarifying the process for expedited permitting. 

*Higher Education Finance* 


* Makes appropriate cuts to address the $239M shortfall in the State Grant Program and does so while minimizing the impact on individual students. 

*Labor Bill* 


* The greatest provision in this bill is the UI extension for our miners. Additionally, it includes language pertaining to non-competes and telecom installers.  

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I appreciate all your support during session and I am excited to officially be back in district. We still have work to get done but I am glad we were able to take such great steps forward as families across Minnesota are counting on us to build a future that rewards hard work, protects individual freedoms, and ensures government lives within its means. I remain committed to fighting for you. Thank you for allowing me to represent you!

*Staying in Touch * 

Feel free to reach out to me during the summer months and I will see you around at local events and parades!

Please be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. You can contact me by phone at either 701-361-1909 [ tel:7013611909 ] (cell) or 651-296-4929 [ tel:(651)%20296-4929 ] (desk). I can also be reached via email at [email protected]. I also encourage you to follow me on Facebook www.facebook.com/repjeffbacker [ [link removed] ].  

Have a good day, 

Jeff 











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@RepJeffBacker [ [link removed] ]





658 Cedar Street
St. Paul, MN 55155
701-361-1909
[email protected].







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