The Minnesota Senate Republicans have announced committee structures and Chairs for the upcoming session. Senator Rich Draheim (R- Madison Lake) will serve as the Chair of the newly formed Senate’s Housing Finance and Policy Committee when the new legislative session begins in January.

“I am proud to be selected to serve as Chair of the Senate’s Committee on Housing,” said Senator Draheim. “Over the past few years, I have served as the Senate’s lead on housing in Minnesota, leading a subcommittee, and learning all the housing challenges facing our state. Housing is much more than a tenet of the American dream. It dictates family budgets, education opportunities, job markets, and much more. Over the next biennium, I look forward to continuing lead on the issue in a multitude of ways, including introducing reforms that not only reduce construction costs in market-rate housing but to make housing affordable for more Minnesotans.”

The priority for the session will be balancing the budget in light of an economy recovering from COVID. The Senate Finance Committee is the only committee with hearing time available three days a week, all others are limited to one or two hearings a week, or as needed. Less meeting time will help focus the agendas and ensure public participation can be done safely. There are more committees, 29 in total, from 2020, but with fewer members to accommodate for social distancing. The new committee areas are focused on: data practices and civil law, property taxes, mining and forestry, labor and industry, health and human services licensing, metropolitan governance, and redistricting.