Legislative session comes to an end in Minnesota

The 2023 legislative session came to a close on Monday, May 22nd. It was memorable in many ways: over 6,000 bills were introduced between both bodies; the session lasted a historic number of legislative days; and the session is being described as one of the most productive ever! It is important to note that there was bi-partisan work done on many of the bills and while philosophical differences are at play, final decisions were reached on the $17.7 billion surplus.

Locally, the Cook County Chamber membership along with lobbyist Judy Erickson, visited the Capitol on many occasions. For the Cook County Chamber, we had a successful session for our priorities. For that we can thank Senator Grant Hauschild and Representative Roger Skraba for paying close attention to our priorities and working with us throughout the session.

A brief summary of outcomes is as follows:

Renewal of 1% Lodging Tax for Visit Cook County. The Tax Omnibus bill, HF1938, lines 294.17 – 295.3, included renewal of the 1% lodging tax for Visit Cook County. This is a continuation for an additional 15 years.

Gitchi Gami State Trail. Agreement was reached between the DFL and GOP to provide for a $1.5 billion bonding bill and a $1.3 billion cash bill. At the final hour on May 22nd, the House and Senate passed HF669, which includes the $4 million for the Gitchi Gami Trail.

Cook County Higher Education: Cook County Higher Ed’s state budget $300,000 per year is included in the final Higher Ed Omnibus bill. CCHE’s funding for the next two years is secure.

North Shore Waste Transfer Station. A multiphased project to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of Cook County’s waste processing facilities and operations is underway. There is a need to build a new transfer station. Initial funding has been secured through IRRRB and local sources. An additional $2.5 million is needed from the state to complete the project. The Chamber will continue to work on this for the 2024 session.

Cook County Historical Society. The Tax bill also included lines 171.28-172.3, under the Minerals Article, $700,000 for the Cook County Historical Society. Bills were also introduced for bonding, HF2649/ SF2335 for $2.185 million for a variety of historical projects in Cook County. This bill has been introduced to lay groundwork for 2024.

Paid Family Leave. HF2/SF2. This bill narrowly passed 68 to 64 vote following hours of debate and ultimately was signed into law by Governor Walz. The legislation includes the establishment of a state-operated medical and family leave plan similar to those offered by large employers. There are many tentacles to this bill including $600 million from the state to get the fund started. The program will have oversight by MN DEED and will begin in 2025 following the creation of a system to run.

I am looking forward to the 2024 session and representing the voice of business in Cook County MN. Our efforts have secured over $13M for projects in northeastern MN. Please consider joining our small and mighty Chamber of Commerce. Your membership not only makes a difference at the Capitol, it also helps with local programming including the Chamber Exchange and Chamber Connect, the Great Place Project grant program, and of course funding the good work we accomplish at the State capitol.