06/02/2026
After completing my 10th and final legislative session in the Minnesota Senate, I’ve been reflecting on a challenging year. It was a divided government, but Senate Republicans still delivered real results for Minnesotans. We secured modest tax relief, strengthened accountability against fraud, and supported struggling hospitals, while also blocking several bad proposals.
Minnesota’s overall tax burden ranks among the highest in the nation. Families across our state are feeling the pressure from high car tab fees and property taxes. Republicans secured more than $400 million in tax relief this session, mainly through a $250 million reduction in car tab fees. These fee reductions will take effect for one year starting January 1, 2027, and then they’ll unfortunately revert to the higher levels forced on Minnesotans by Democrats in 2023. We also delivered $125 million in property tax relief with a one-time $173 tax credit for homeowners earning less than $143,000 per year.
Fraud is on every Minnesotan’s mind after an estimated $9 billion was stolen from Minnesota taxpayers. This year, we took steps to fight back. I was proud to co-author the Office of Inspector General bill, which passed and establishes a new, independent anti-fraud office dedicated to stopping fraud. Other anti-fraud provisions we passed include a new tax penalty on individuals who commit fraud or benefit from it, such as through kickbacks.
Hospitals are facing serious financial challenges, particularly in Greater Minnesota. Staffing shortages and uncompensated care for uninsured patients have hit rural facilities especially hard. We provided emergency funding to keep Hennepin County Medical Center operational as it undergoes governance reforms. HCMC serves patients from all across Minnesota, with over 40% of patients from outside the metro area, so keeping it open was critical. We also invested $500 million in a new hospital reserve account to support struggling rural hospitals. Unfortunately, the exclusion of certain Prospective Payment System hospitals means some rural facilities will not qualify, highlighting once again how Democrat priorities often favor the Metro Area over Greater Minnesota.
School safety was also a big conversation. Democrats paired bipartisan school safety funding with partisan gun control measures. Despite Republican amendments to strip the partisan provisions and pass a clean safety package, which included $20 million in supplemental aid, mental health grants, mobile crisis support, and increased funding for non-public schools, the amendment failed on party-line votes. We did pass some positive provisions, including funding for an anonymous threat reporting system and expanded student mental health services.
Finally, I authored two bills that advanced through committees but didn’t make it to the finish line. One restricted direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising on TV, and the other required clear labeling of lab-grown food in stores and restaurants. While neither reached final passage, they started important conversations that I hope will continue next session.
Serving Minnesotans for a decade has been the honor of a lifetime. Thank you for your trust and engagement.
