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The Senate floor sessions are underway, but the dynamics this year are noticeably different from recent sessions. While there’s been a greater push for bipartisan cooperation, we’re still seeing some projects and initiatives being advanced that don’t seem to serve the best interests of most Minnesotans.

Below, I’ll highlight a few key bills and provide a high-level overview of what has passed in the Senate so far. It’s important to remember that even when a bill passes both the Senate and House, it often heads to a conference committee before it can become law. Final votes on the conference committee report are often where significant changes happen.

What is a conference committee?
A conference committee is a temporary, joint committee made up of members from both the House and Senate. Its sole purpose is to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill.

Here’s how it works: after a bill passes in the Senate (with or without amendments), it goes to the House for consideration. The House may pass the bill as-is or make additional amendments. If the House’s version differs from the one originally passed by the Senate, and the Senate does not agree to those changes, a conference committee is formed.

Selected members (called conferees) from both chambers meet to compare the two versions, negotiate differences, and reach a compromise. The result is a final version of the bill, known as the conference report.

This report is then presented to both the House and Senate for a final vote. At that point, no further amendments can be made — members must vote to accept or reject the bill exactly as it appears in the report.

As always, I encourage you to stay informed on the issues that matter to you, and never hesitate to reach out with questions. You can contact me directly at mark.koran@mnsenate.gov or at 651-296-5419. My legislative assistant, Melissa Field, is also a great resource and can be contacted at melissa.field@mnsenate.gov or at 651-296-6200. I truly value how engaged our constituents are—it helps me better represent you!

Senate Floor Hearings: What You Need to Know

Veterans Bill – SF 1959

One of the more concerning parts of a recent veterans bill was language that would have limited who Minnesota veterans could turn to for help with applying for their benefits.

As originally written, only individuals accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs—like County Veterans Service Officers—would have been allowed to assist with claims.

That would have meant private advisors, and even attorneys (especially in cases where claims are denied), would have been off-limits. This restriction didn’t sit right with many of us.

Thankfully, a bipartisan amendment was adopted to remove that language. That’s a big win. Our veterans deserve options—not red tape—when it comes to getting the benefits they’ve earned. Limiting their choices doesn’t serve them; it only adds unnecessary barriers.

However, not all concerns were resolved. The bill still includes a broad and somewhat controversial definition of a “veteran of the Secret War in Laos.” While it extends certain honors—like eligibility for burial in a state veterans cemetery and veteran status on a driver’s license—to some members of the U.S.-recruited Special Guerrilla Units during the Vietnam War, it excludes many others.

Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese, Thai, South Korean, and Khmer Republic forces who served in similar roles are not included in the current language. That’s something I believe still needs to be addressed to ensure fairness and proper recognition.

Housing and Homelessness Prevention Budget – SF 2298

The Senate recently passed its Housing and Homelessness Prevention budget bill (SF 2298), with nearly $180 million allocated over the next two years toward housing programs. While the bill includes some positive elements, there were also missed opportunities to address the core issues driving up housing costs across Minnesota.

As Senator Lucero, our Republican lead on the Housing Committee, noted—this bill wasn’t perfect. It lacked meaningful reforms that target the root causes of our housing affordability crisis and didn’t do enough to promote homeownership pathways. That said, it does limit some of the government overreach we’ve seen in past proposals and supports a number of useful programs.

Unfortunately, a last-minute amendment moved us in the wrong direction by advancing rent control measures. Rent control has consistently failed in other places—it distorts the market and ultimately reduces both the quality and availability of housing. This shift is concerning, and I’ll continue to advocate for solutions that truly help families find and afford stable housing without creating more red tape or unintended consequences.

Some key provisions in the bill include:

  • A task force to examine rising homeowners’ insurance costs – This group will explore what’s driving the sharp increases and evaluate the impact of government regulation. Their report next year could help inform smart policy changes.
  • Support for housing programs across the state:
    $7 million for workforce housing, including projects in Greater Minnesota
    $2 million to assist manufactured home park upgrades
    $36.1 million for homeless prevention services
    $10.6 million in rental assistance for individuals with mental illness
    $13 million for repairing older homes and apartment buildings
    $2.7 million to support nonprofit housing counselors and financial education
  • Oversight of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) – The bill now requires annual reports to the legislature on the financial health of the affordable housing sector.
  • Support for first-generation homebuyers – The bill codifies a pilot program started in 2023 that provides forgivable down payment loans, giving more Minnesotans a chance to build equity and stability through homeownership.

I’m also glad to report that Republicans successfully offered an amendment—passed by voice vote—to eliminate the filing fee homeowners must pay to remove outdated and discriminatory restrictive covenants from their property deeds. This is a small but meaningful step toward fairness and transparency.

We’ll keep pushing for housing policies that go beyond temporary fixes and instead focus on long-term solutions—reducing costs, cutting red tape, and expanding access to the American Dream of homeownership.

Commerce Budget and Policy omnibus – SF 2216

The Senate recently passed the majority’s Commerce budget and policy bill (SF 2216), and while there are a few provisions we could support, the overall package falls short—especially for Minnesota families, seniors, and small businesses.

Instead of offering meaningful consumer protections or smart reforms, this bill increases costs and expands government bureaucracy. At a time when state services are being cut, it’s frustrating to see more government spending and more staff hires while everyday Minnesotans are left to foot the bill.

Here’s a quick snapshot of what this bill does:

  • Adds a new $100 fee for electric vehicle charging station inspections
  • Creates a new $55 fee for every homeowners association and common interest community
  • Raises registration fees for broker-dealers in Minnesota’s financial sector
  • Continues funding for the controversial CanRenew cannabis grants, without adequate oversight

Even more concerning is what’s not in the bill—like adequate support for substance abuse education and prevention, which Governor Walz has cut. With Minnesota preparing to roll out its cannabis marketplace, failing to fund prevention efforts breaks a major promise to our communities.

The bill also pushes through several policy changes that could drive up costs and create new burdens for consumers, such as:

  • Loosening oversight on health insurance mandates, which could raise premiums
  • Imposing a 10% surcharge on Medigap policies, directly affecting seniors
  • Expanding cancellation notice requirements from 20 to 30 days, complicating plan management
  • Allowing certain individuals with marijuana-related adjudications to apply as social equity license holders

On a more positive note, we did manage to get a few solid Republican ideas into the final bill. Senator Zach Duckworth’s “whippets” bill, which cracks down on abuse of nitrous oxide, passed with strong bipartisan support. And Senator Julia Coleman successfully added a provision to require warning labels on feminine hygiene products with detectable levels of lead and arsenic—a common-sense step for women’s health and safety.

Unfortunately, several Republican amendments aimed at improving the bill were rejected by the majority, including two focused on redirecting CanRenew grant dollars:

One would have restored funding for cannabis education programs, especially those helping pregnant women and local public health agencies.

Another would have ended the CanRenew program entirely and returned the funds to the General Fund, where they could serve a broader public good.

Bottom line: This bill could have been a real opportunity to work together for the benefit of all Minnesotans. Instead, it raises fees, misses key protections, and grows government at the wrong time.

State & Local Government and Elections Budget & Policy Omnibus – SF 3045

Senate passed a wide-ranging State and Local Government budget bill that increases government spending while missing key opportunities to improve transparency, accountability, and election integrity.

At a time when Minnesota is facing a projected $6 billion deficit, this bill hands out generous funding increases to state agencies—with little to no reform. Agencies like the Secretary of State, Department of Administration, and Attorney General’s Office all received operating increases, despite calls for fiscal discipline.

Meanwhile, cultural councils saw significant budget boosts, some exceeding 20%, raising concerns about fair and consistent spending across all groups.

Positive Steps on Oversight, But More Work Needed

Several Republican-backed amendments were included to strengthen accountability:

  • Stopping fraud: New contract language allows the state to recover payments when fraud is discovered.
  • Sunsetting commissions: State task forces now automatically sunset after two years unless proven effective.
  • Grants training: Staff who manage public grants must now complete annual training to protect taxpayer dollars.

Unfortunately, other cost-saving proposals—like limiting agency budget increases and preventing filing fee hikes on businesses—were rejected.

Elections Policy: Progress in Some Areas, But Not Enough

The bill also includes a major elections policy package. While a few bipartisan provisions were adopted—such as moving the absentee ballot deadline to ease election-day burdens—many long-standing concerns remain unaddressed.

Notable changes include:

  • Political parties must now cover the cost of presidential primaries—a major shift with potential consequences for participation and access.
  • Expanded financial disclosure rules will now apply to more than 14,000 local officials statewide.
  • Legal fees from a court case related to unconstitutional election law changes will be covered by taxpayer funds.

Republicans offered additional election integrity proposals, including:

These commonsense efforts to increase accountability and safeguard elections were not adopted.

Minnesotans expect responsible budgeting and trustworthy elections. This bill expands government but doesn’t do enough to protect taxpayers or restore public confidence in our systems. There were chances to work together on meaningful reforms—some were taken, but many were missed.

Despite many disagreements I had with this bill, I voted yes on it with the hope of being appointed to the conference committee. Despite being the minority lead for the Elections Committee, the DFL didn’t want to take the chance that I would propose ideas they didn’t agree with and I wasn’t allowed to participate in conference. We’ll now have to wait to see the final bill when it reappears on the Senate floor for a vote.

The bottom line is this: Minnesota is facing a $6 billion budget deficit, the result of unsustainable spending and misguided policy decisions in 2023 and 2024. Unfortunately, those responsible have been slow to offer real solutions.

Instead of making necessary, responsible changes, we’ve seen omnibus bills that do little to rein in spending or ease the cost of living for Minnesotans. For the first 23 days of session, House leadership was missing in action—but Minnesotans paid attention and made their voices heard. That public pressure helped bring much-needed urgency back to the process.

I, along with my Republican colleagues, am here to do the work. Our focus remains on passing a budget that is responsible, transparent, and truly aimed at making life more affordable. That means smarter spending, real accountability, and putting Minnesotans first—because you deserve better than delays and excuses.

Contact Me

Please don’t ever hesitate to contact me! I truly believe keeping in touch with constituents helps me be a better legislator. You can contact me directly through email at sen.mark.koran@mnsenate.gov or by calling 651-296-5419. My legislative assistant, Melissa Field, is also a great source for information. She can be reached at melissa.field@mnsenate.gov or by calling 651-296-6200. Take care and I look forward to seeing you in the community soon!