2025 LEGISLATIVE REVIEW
Feature
Sen. Liz Boldon DISTRICT 25
Rep. Kim Hicks DISTRICT 25A
Looking back on the 2025 legislative session, what legislation will have a significant impact on the Rochester area business community? There were many difficult decisions to be made this legislative session, but one
Looking back on the 2025 legislative session, what legislation will have a significant impact on the Rochester area business community? The 2025 legislative session was all about keeping the ship on course. Democrats
that I am particularly concerned about is the decision to further raise the tax on cannabis products. There was a broad menu of options on the table for raising revenue, including a first-in-the-nation tax on social media corporations for the data they extract and profit off of from everyday Minnesotans. However, Republicans chose to further set back the successful rollout of a legal cannabis industry by raising this tax. While a “sin tax” like this may be more politically palatable than other forms of revenue, in order for responsibly regulated cannabis businesses in our community and state to thrive, we must reduce the incentives that drive consumers to the illicit market. Raising the cannabis tax does the opposite. What is a major takeaway from the 2025 session? There were two sets of agendas at the legislature this session, and the differences were stark. Democrats were focused on preserving the quality government services that Minnesotans depend on while also preparing responsibly for the deluge of cuts coming down from the federal government, while Republicans were focused on eliminating as many services and programs as possible while refusing to acknowledge the coming impacts of the new federal administration. At the end of the day, Republicans were so insistent on stripping access to healthcare and other services that they threatened to shutdown the state government unless they got their way. Meanwhile, Democrats remained committed to our responsibility to ensure continuance of the stable, reliable state government services that Minnesotans depend on. Despite being unhappy with many of the policy outcomes, I’m proud we successfully negotiated an end to the standoff and prevented the damaging government shutdown that some Republicans publicly advocated for.
held firm and successfully protected vital programs that Minnesotans are depending on to make life more affordable, like Universal School Meals, the North Star Promise, Paid Family and Medical Leave, and Earned Sick and Safe time, just to name a few. The latter two especially will have a growing positive impact on Rochester’s business community for years to come. Paid Family and Medical Leave will help smaller employers earn and retain top talent by allowing them to compete with large corporations by offering benefits that used to be too expensive for them to be able to offer. Maintaining Earned Sick and Safe Time ensures that Minnesotans can actually stay home when they’re sick, protecting their co-workers and themselves in the process. What is a major takeaway from the 2025 session? Despite a national political climate that feels rooted in division and an Administration that prioritizes burning bridges over building them, Minnesota is a prime example of what can be done when people with differing opinions work together under the same shared value: making Minnesota better. We couldn't have done this without the leadership of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, and to be frank, many of us have no idea what is coming next. The one thing we do know, however, is that Melissa would want us to remember that there is more that unites us than divides us. No matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you believe, we are One Minnesota.
AUGUST 2025 — ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE | 13
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