Government Affairs Director
Ewald Consulting
MASA Lobbyist
The 2024 legislative session begins on February 12. With a two-year state budget in place, the DFL trifecta will likely focus on passing a bonding bill, fixing errors from the last session, and looking at other priorities that did not advance in the 2023 session. And depending on the state budget outlook, passing a supplemental budget bill.
A glimpse into the state budget outlook
Regarding the budget outlook, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) announced in July that Minnesota’s net general fund receipts for FY23 are now estimated to total $30.384 billion, $528 million (more than projected in the February 2023 forecast. Promising news, but that could change throughout the summer as we await MMB to release the official budget forecast in December.
Sustaining the momentum of our advocacy
Thank you for your advocacy during the last legislative session, which was key to advancing MASA’s legislative priorities. However, advocacy is a year-round effort – the legislative interim is a great time to build new relationships and strengthen existing relationships. Over the fall and winter, please reach out to your elected officials, meet with them to talk about what’s happening in your school district, and invite them to visit or tour the district.
Next steps in MASA’s legislative planning
MASA’s legislative committee will meet later this year to draft the legislative priorities. If you have ideas or suggestions about topics to consider, please email Deb Henton (deb.henton@mnasa.org) or our lobbyist, Valerie Dosland (valeried@ewald.com) who will bring your ideas to the legislative committee.
