St. Paul Reporter

In the final days of the 2025 legislative session, Minnesota State Representative Ben Bakeberg provided an update on recent developments at the Capitol. According to Bakeberg, lawmakers reached a budget agreement late Wednesday night that aims to address the state's structural deficit without increasing taxes for Minnesota families.

Bakeberg stated, "Eliminates nearly half of the structural deficit Democrats created after growing government by 40% and raising taxes by $10 billion. Absolutely NO tax increases on Minnesota families. This agreement is a course correction – cleaning up the mess left behind after two years of one-party DFL control."

The budget targets will now move to conference committees for further negotiation. Some bills are expected to be finalized quickly, while others may require more time. The goal is to pass as much legislation as possible by Monday night.

Bakeberg also discussed progress on the education finance bill, which had been delayed due to opposition from Education Minnesota and SEIU. He noted that feedback from educators emphasized the need for flexible funding, mandate relief, and local control in schools. Bakeberg said he would support the bipartisan negotiated bill despite its imperfections.

"Prioritizes funding that is fair and flexible for schools and students by redirecting $150+ million back into classrooms over the next 4 years. Invests $40 million into the Read Act while reaffirming our commitment to the Science of Reading and academic achievement. Rolls back funding for legislatively named nonprofits," Bakeberg said.

He added, "Simply put, we should be funding schools to pick their nonprofit partners, not funding nonprofits to pick the schools they want to help." The bill also sunsets the UI benefit mandate in September 2028 and redirects $77 million from a light rail project to fund this mandate for two years.

Bakeberg highlighted that non-public pupil aid remains protected under this year’s budget targets. He emphasized his continued support for parental rights and educational freedom. He explained that this aid supports public schools directly with costs such as transportation, textbooks, nursing, and counseling services; cuts could result in staff reductions at public schools.

This week also marked National Police Week in Minnesota. The House passed a resolution honoring law enforcement officers' service and sacrifice across the state. Bakeberg attended a memorial scholarship banquet in Scott County recognizing fallen officers and supporting future recruits.

"As we enter the final days of the legislative session, there’s still work to do but I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together so far," Bakeberg said.

He encouraged constituents to stay engaged through his Facebook page or reach out via phone or email with questions or concerns about ongoing legislative work.