House GOP Outlines Affordability Agenda for 2026 Session

Minnesota House Republican leaders held a press conference outlining their affordability priorities for the 2026 legislative session, focusing on targeted tax relief and cost-saving measures intended to ease the financial burden on families. Speaker Lisa Demuth and House Floor Leader Harry Niska emphasized plans to lower car tab and boat fees, repeal the retail delivery fee, and conform state taxes to recent federal changes to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay packages. They also highlighted making the state’s reinsurance program permanent and returning portions of the budget surplus to taxpayers. House DFLers have their own affordability agenda focused on a broad package aimed at lowering costs for families by addressing health care, child care, housing, energy and other everyday expenses.

Proposed Ban on Local Government NDAs Passes

The House Elections Committee held a hearing this week on H.F. 4077, Representative Emma Greenman’s (DFL-Minneapolis) bill to prohibit local governments from entering into non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with private entities. Greenman said the bill would prevent “corporate secrecy from corrupting public processes” and would protect the public’s right to know how decisions are made.  She clarified that it would not interfere with legitimate trade secret protections. Testifiers from Hermantown, Pine Island, Farmington, North Mankato, Monticello and other communities described data center proposals negotiated under NDAs that they said limited public input, waived ordinances, restricted elected officials’ access to information, and eroded trust in local government. The bill passed out of committee on a voice vote.

Rental Assistance Plan Clears Senate

The Minnesota Senate debated a high-profile proposal to appropriate $40 million in one-time emergency rental assistance aimed at helping renters at risk of eviction amid rising housing instability. Majority DFLers said the bill is a targeted response to climbing eviction filings and a way to keep families housed by directing funds to counties, tribal governments and community programs. Republicans raised concerns about the source of the funds and questioned eligibility rules, including whether aid recipients should be required to prove legal immigration status. The Senate passed the bill by a 35-32 vote.

Gov. Walz DHS Transformation Plan Appears to be DOA

On Tuesday, Gov. Tim Walz announced a bold plan to transform the delivery of the state’s human services programs. According to a press release from his office, “The proposal would streamline Minnesota’s service delivery model, moving away from the complex, layered administration managed by a patchwork of counties, Managed Care Organizations, and state agencies to a single, centralized entity.” Following the announcement, several Republican legislators quickly denounced the plan, while DFLers largely remained quiet. Notably, Sen. John Hoffman (DFL), Chair of the Human Services Committee, admonished the Walz administration for announcing such significant changes without thorough consultation with legislative committees.

Tick-Tock

We are roughly one month into the 2026 legislative session, and just two weeks remain before the first committee deadline. While there had been speculation that Governor Walz would have announced his supplemental budget proposals this week, the rumor is now that it will happen early next week. As a reminder, here are the key dates for the remainder of session:

  • March 19 – No official action due to Eid
  • March 27 – First committee deadline
  • March 28-Apri 6 – Legislative break
  • April 17 – Final committee deadline
  • May 18 – End of legislative session

March 13, 2026