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- The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce is advocating for federal immigration reform to address business strains.
- The chamber's legislative priorities include tax code changes, paid leave program alterations, and reducing housing costs.
- Legislative leaders discussed key issues for the upcoming session, including paid family leave, fraud, and attracting residents.
Leaders of Minnesota's largest business lobby on Tuesday acknowledged that the private sector is undergoing immense strain because of the federal immigration enforcement surge in recent weeks and proposed a slew of legislative changes to help.
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, at its annual dinner to mark the start of the legislative session, also said it will advocate for federal immigration reform -- a fix the business lobby says would have helped prevent the intense federal immigration surge.
"The immigration crisis and unnecessary loss of life have once again brought our state into the national and world spotlight," said Minnesota Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Doug Loon. "Reform, simply put, is overdue, and a workable legal immigration system is desperately needed."
The chamber's priorities this year are largely longstanding and unrelated to the immigration surge, though the business lobby is arguing they are all the more necessary in the face of the reputational damage they say Minnesota has suffered. The changes include adapting the state tax code to federal tax changes and cuts passed last year, altering the state's newly launched paid leave program -- a longtime bane of the chamber's -- and, reducing housing and energy costs.
Although many Minnesota industries and families are experiencing urgent needs, election year ambitions and heightened partisan vitriol are undermining hope for the bipartisanship needed to pass anything in the closely divided Legislature.
For whatever nastiness might ensue, the chamber event Tuesday had a civil, bipartisan tone, similar to Tuesday's opening of the legislative session. The chamber paid tribute to the late Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was a frequent panelist at the dinner.
Gov. Tim Walz kicked off the night with much of the same remarks he said earlier in the day in his tribute to Hortman. Walz said that although Minnesota has undergone hardship in recent weeks, the nation experienced Minnesotans standing up for one another.
"The world got to see a Minnesota they didn't really know," Walz said. "They saw gritty neighbors and gritty businesses standing up for one another."
KSTP political reporter Tom Hauser closed out the evening by leading a panel discussion with legislative leaders about the upcoming session. The panel included House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring; House DFL caucus leader Zack Stephenson; DFL-Coon Rapids; Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St.Paul; and Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks.
Hauser asked the leaders questions about the session. Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and length:
Paid family leave is up and running as of Jan. 1. How do you think it's going so far and will any tweaks need to be made?
Murphy: I think it's going well. So far so good.
Johnson: Republicans have begged for small changes. This is obvious, the shortcomings of this program from the very beginning, and we have done everything that we possibly can.
Demuth: We have to look at changes already this year. There should never be a business mandate put on by a state.
Stephenson: You'll forgive my skepticism of the predictions of doom and gloom that are coming from my Republican colleagues here, because I've been hearing them for years. This is a program that every other developed country in the world has and Minnesotans want.
Fraud. What are the top one or two things your caucus will do this session?
Demuth: We are looking to pass the Office of Inspector General bill. That's one of our top priorities.
Stephenson: Fraud is going to be a top priority for our caucus. We think every single dollar of fraud is unacceptable and needs to be rooted out.
Murphy: We passed the Office of Inspector General bill so we don't have to take it up again. Vulnerable people rely on programs and aren't getting what they need. When people are stealing from our programs, we're going to prevent it and stop it.
Johnson: The governor and attorney general currently have the capability to root out fraud within agencies. They have not been held accountable to that. And it is so frustrating for us to be sitting here talking about more laws to pass that will not be enforced by the leaders that we have in those executive branch offices or the AG's office.
Give me one word about what you can do to attract more people to Minnesota
Stephenson: More affordable housing
Demuth: Affordability, overall
Murphy: Child care
Johnson: Job growth