Friends and neighbors,

The 2024 legislative session is underway, and I am back in St. Paul fighting for the needs of our community. It is the greatest honor to be entrusted as your voice in the Minnesota Legislature.

I want to begin by saying I always strive to be positive and do not believe in hitting the other side of the aisle just for the sake of partisan politics. I believe in bipartisanship, working towards the common good, and hampering down the heated partisan rhetoric that plagues our nation. What I present in this piece is factual and with the purpose of giving an honest view of the state of affairs in Minnesota. 

From a financial standpoint, the image is bleak. Last year, the majority party spent the entirety of our state’s $18 billion surplus, raised taxes by $10 billion and grew the budget by nearly 40%. With the latest budget forecast, we are now seeing the consequences of this excessive spending spree.

The February budget forecast shows we may be looking at a $3.7 billion surplus in 2025. However, there is a $1.5 billion structural deficit starting in 2026. This means we must be very cautious of our spending this session. That is why I have decided to extraordinarily limit any spending bills I carry and seek to cut excessive or new spending wherever possible. New state spending is paid for by taxes Minnesotans are already struggling to afford, and we simply can’t continue to pass the burden onto taxpayers. I am also committed to looking for ways to help Minnesotans with the high cost of living with tax relief. 

Minnesotans cannot afford another session like the last, and I will continue to fight to make life more affordable for Minnesota families.

Additionally, I am honored this year to continue serving as the Republican lead of the Senate Education Policy Committee and as a member of the Senate Transportation Committee. In addition to serving on these committees, I am excited to continue serving on the Senate Republicans’ leadership team. 

Within my role on the Education Policy Committee, I am committed to being a strong voice for Minnesota families and students. Our schools are struggling under the weight of the costly and unfunded mandates passed by the majority last session, and that pulls money away from the classroom and away from the needs of students.

Therefore, we need to focus this year on reducing the state mandates on our schools and ensuring our students receive a high-quality education. To set our students up for success, we must get back to the basics and focus on core academics. I also believe parents must be involved in their child’s education, and I will continue to prioritize policies that draw families into school decisions instead of pushing them away. 

Another critical item on our to-do list this year is fixing a school resource officer (SRO) law from last session, which caused dozens of SROs to be pulled from schools. Our SROs are essential to the safety of students and facility members, and the statutes must be clarified so law enforcement and school officials can have full confidence in how to operate within the law. I am hopeful to see bipartisan cooperation in repairing this faulty law.

Single-party control that shuts out one side of the aisle completely has caused too many problems for Minnesota. Our state budget is in jeopardy, schools are feeling the pressure of costly and unfunded mandates, and Minnesotans have less money in their pockets. To repair the damage done to our state, we need bipartisan collaboration to get our state back on track.

Contact My Office

My office is always open to constituents, and I invite you to reach out with any concerns or ideas you may have. You can contact my office at sen.julia.coleman@mnsenate.gov or 651-296-483.

Sincerely,

Julia