Friends and neighbors,

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe. It’s been an eventful session at the Minnesota Capitol, and I wanted to share a few important updates.

This week, Senate Democrats released their budget targets, revealing some deeply concerning priorities—including a $687 million cut to education and reductions to health and human services. These are the wrong places to cut, especially when so many Minnesotans rely on these services.

But there’s also good news. In the Senate Jobs and Economic Development Committee, I presented a bill to establish a grant for the Rural Cancer Institute. This pilot program would help expand the clinical oncology workforce in Greater Minnesota by creating rural oncology training rotations for medical students, residents, and fellows. Rural patients often face serious barriers to timely care. This bill would help them receive treatment closer to home—and help rural hospitals retain those patients in their own communities. It’s a win-win for both patients and providers.

A big thank-you to Dr. Wade Swenson, Dr. Emily McGovern, and all the healthcare professionals who’ve supported this effort.

I also presented H.F. 1346, a bill focused on better protecting our children. It would strengthen mandatory reporter training by increasing time spent on recognizing signs of maltreatment and requiring the input of professionals with expertise in child welfare—like doctors, attorneys, and mental health providers. This is a meaningful step forward in helping prevent abuse and protect vulnerable children.

Cuts to Nursing Home Facilities
Nursing homes across Minnesota are facing unprecedented challenges. Rising costs, inflation, and workforce shortages are putting the well-being of our seniors at serious risk. Yet despite these challenges, Governor Walz is proposing steep cuts to nursing home funding over the next four years. In our district alone, these proposed cuts total more than $15 million across 10 facilities:

·         Living Meadows at Luther – Madelia ($1,278,313) 

·         The Lutheran Home Belle Plaine ($2,316,905) 

·         Minnesota Valley Health Center (NH) ($958,212) 

·         Central Health Care of Le Center, Inc. ($734,704) 

·         Truman Senior Living, Inc. ($1,303,627) 

·         Mapleton Community Home (NH) ($1,544,437) 

·         Lakeview Methodist Health Care Center ($1,699,745) 

·         Hillcrest Rehabilitation Center ($1,887,820) 

·         Avera Tyler ($1,162,873) 

·         St. Luke’s Lutheran Care Center ($2,518,166)

That’s not just numbers on a page—that’s real impacts on residents, families, and frontline caregivers.

This situation was avoidable. In 2023, Democrats had a record $18 billion surplus. They spent every last dollar and then raised taxes by another $10 billion. Now, faced with a looming $6 billion deficit, the governor is looking to patch the holes by cutting care for our seniors. That’s not leadership, it’s mismanagement.

Let me be clear: We don’t have a revenue problem—we have a spending problem.

Just weeks ago, Senate Republicans identified over $600 million in wasteful spending on things like boondoggle trains, scholarships for non-citizens, and underused state real estate. If we’re going to make cuts, let’s start there—not with the care and dignity of our most vulnerable.

It’s time to make responsible choices and protect the Minnesotans who need us most.

OLA Report on Grant Management
The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) recently released a report highlighting poor grants management at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The report examined DEED’s management of state-funded grants for adult workforce programs and broadband development.

These reports from the OLA on grant management are beginning to sound like a broken record. Time and time again, our state agencies are more focused on supporting grant recipients than on accountability and oversight of taxpayers’ dollars.

The OLA identified several areas for improvement, including ensuring that nonprofits submit progress reports on schedule, withholding payments from nonprofits with past-due reports, completing grant closeout evaluations with all required information, and updating compliance policies and procedures to align with the Office of Grants Management requirements.

Contact Me
Be sure to follow me on Facebook for more frequent updates throughout the session.

I always appreciate hearing from constituents—it helps me do my job better and stay focused on the issues that matter most to you. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas, feel free to reach out. You can email at sen.rich.draheim@mnsenate.gov, and my legislative assistant, Henry Rosckes, is available at henry.rosckes@mnsenate.gov.

Thanks, as always, for staying engaged. I’ll continue to keep you updated as the session moves forward.