Minnesota Report
We received the new legislative committee names and selected chairs for both the House and Senate late yesterday afternoon, and noticed some interesting realities. In the House, incoming third term member Rep Aisha Gomez (DFL-62A, Minneapolis) is the Tax Committee Chair, which in the past was a position provided to a senior member. She is joined by other members entering their third terms, Rep Kelly Moller (DFL-40A, Shoreview), Chairs both Ethics and Public Safety Finance & Policy, Rep Samantha Vang (DFL-38B, Brooklyn Park), Chair of Agriculture Finance & Policy, Rep Hodan Hassan (DFL-62B, Minneapolis) Chair of Economic Development, Rep Mohamud Noor (DFL-60B, Minneapolis) Chair of Human Services Finance, Rep Ginny Klevorn (DFL-44A, Plymouth) Chair of State and Local Government Finance & Policy, Rep David Lislegard (DFL-07B, Aurora) Chair of Property Tax Division, and Rep Jay Xiong (DFL-67B, St Paul) Chair of Workforce Development Finance. In addition to their short legislative careers, they represent a far more diverse perspective.
We believe Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-43B, Brooklyn Park) respects seniority, but also is not dogmatically restricted by it. The long-term influence this group will have in the House will be significant and is a testament to the Speaker’s long-term vision.
In the Senate largely due to its razor thin majority, three members of the sophomore class, elected in the “Stub Term” the short two-year state senate election at the beginning of every decade due to redistricting, hold gavels. Sen Aric Putnam (DFL-14, St Cloud) is the Chair of Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, Sen Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville) is the Chair of the Housing Committee and Sen Jennifer McEwen (DFL-Duluth) is the Chair of the Labor Committee, and ) is the Chair of the Labor Committee, and Sen Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis) is Chair of Higher Education. We will note Sen Mary Kunesh (DFL-41, New Brighton) Chair of the Education Finance Committee is also in this class, but she also served three terms in the House.
With these three sitting at the head of the table, also is a credit to the Senate Majority Leader (Kari Dzedzich (DFL-60, Minneapolis). She also is show strong leadership with these types of moves.
2023-24 House Committees
| Agriculture Finance & Policy | Rep Samantha Vang (DFL-38B, Brooklyn Park) |
| Capital Investment | Rep Fue Lee (DFL-59A, Minneapolis) |
| Climate and Energy Finance & Policy | Rep Patty Acomb (DFL-54B, Minnetonka) |
| Commerce Finance & Policy | Rep Zack Stephenson (DFL-35A, Coon Rapids) |
| Children and Families Finance & Policy | Rep David Pinto (DFL-64B, St Paul) |
| Economic Development | Rep Hodan Hassan (DFL-62B, Minneapolis) |
| Elections Finance & Policy | Rep Michael Freiberg (DFL-43B, Golden Valley) |
| Environment and Natural Resources Finance & Policy | Rep Rick Hansen (DFL-53B, South St Paul) |
| Ethics | Rep Kelly Moller (DFL-40A, Shoreview) |
| Health Finance & Policy | Rep Tina Liebling (DFL-26A, Rochester) |
| Higher Education Finance & Policy | Rep Gene Pelowski (DFL-28A, Winona) |
| Housing Finance & Policy | Rep Michael Howard (DFL-51A, Bloomington) |
| Human Services Finance | Rep Mohamud Noor (DFL-60B, Minneapolis) |
| Human Services Policy | Rep Peter Fischer (DFL-43A, Maplewood) |
| Judiciary Finance & Civil Law | Rep Jaimie Becker-Finn (DFL-42B, Roseville) |
| Education Finance | Rep Cheryl Youkim (DFL-46B, Hopkins) |
| Education Policy | Rep Elizabeth Pryor (DFL-48B, Minnetonka) |
| Labor and Industry Finance & Policy | Rep Mike Nelson (DFL-40A, Brooklyn Park) |
| Legacy Finance | Rep Leon Lillie (DFL-43B, North St Paul) |
| Public Safety Finance & Policy | Rep Kelly Moller (DFL-40A, Shoreview) |
| State and Local Government Finance & Policy | Rep Ginny Klevorn (DFL-44A, Plymouth) |
| Sustainable Infrastructure Policy | Rep Erin Koegel (DFL-37A, Spring Lake Park) |
| Taxes | Rep Aisha Gomez (DFL-62A, Minneapolis) |
| Property Tax Division | Rep David Lislegard (DFL-07B, Aurora) |
| Transportation Finance | Rep Frank Hornstein (DFL-61A, Minneapolis) |
| Veterans and Military Affairs Finance & Policy | Rep Jerry Newton (DFL-35B, Coon Rapids) |
| Ways & Means | Rep Liz Olson (DFL-08A, Duluth) |
| Workforce Development Finance | Rep Jay Xiong (DFL-67B, St Paul) |
2023-24 Senate Committees
| Agriculture and Rural Development Committee | Sen Aric Putnam (DFL-14, St Cloud) |
| Housing Committee | Sen Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville) |
| Capital Investment Committee | Sen Sandy Pappas (DFL-DFL-66, St Paul) |
| Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee | Sen Matt Klein (DFL-Mendota Heights) |
| Education Finance Committee | Sen Mary Kunesh (DFL-New Brighton) |
| Education Policy Committee | Sen Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie) |
| Elections Committee | Sen Jim Carlson (DFL-Eagan) |
| Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate Committee | Sen Nick Frentz (DFL-North Mankato) |
| Labor Committee | Sen Jennifer McEwen (DFL-Duluth) |
| Finance Committee | Sen John Marty (DFL-Roseville) |
| Health and Human Services Committee | Sen Melissa Wiklund (DFL-Bloomington) |
| Human Services Committee | Sen John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) |
| Jobs and Economic Development Committee | Sen Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-Minneapolis) |
| Higher Education | Sen Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis) |
| Judiciary and Public Safety Committee | Sen Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park) |
| Legacy and Natural Resources Committee | Sen Foung Hawj (DFL-St. Paul) |
| Rules and Administration Committee | Sen Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis) |
| State and Local Government and Veterans Committee | Sen Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) |
| Taxes Committee | Sen Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope) |
| Transportation Committee | Sen D Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) |