Minnesota

Minnesota’s DFL trifecta (2023-2024) passed paid family leave, universal free school meals, codified abortion rights, and restored voting rights for 55,000 previously incarcerated residents. Tim Walz called it the largest progressive legislative wave in state history.

Now the legislature is split 101 to 100. Walz is not running for reelection. All 201 legislative seats are on the November ballot. Everything the trifecta built is one election away from being rolled back.

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Trifecta record

The 2023-2024 DFL trifecta produced what supporters call “Minnesota Miracle 2.0.” Here is what passed:

Law	What it does	Status
Paid family leave	12 weeks of paid leave for all workers	Launched Jan. 1, 2026; 54,000 applications approved
Free school meals	Free breakfast and lunch for all K-12 students	Active statewide
Gun reform	Universal background checks, red flag law	Active
Driver’s licenses for all	Licenses regardless of immigration status	Active since Oct. 2023
Abortion rights	Codified reproductive freedom in state law	Active
Clean electricity	100% clean electricity by 2040	55% carbon-free in 2025
Cannabis legalization	Legal for adults	Active
Voting rights restoration	55,000+ formerly incarcerated can vote	Active
Child tax credit	Designed to cut child poverty by one-third	Active

Every one of these laws can be repealed or defunded by a Republican-controlled legislature. The margin is one seat.

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Healthcare and benefits

Federal reconciliation cuts over $1 trillion from Medicaid nationally. In Minnesota, 152,000 to 253,000 residents are projected to lose Medical Assistance coverage. The first changes take effect fall 2026.

MNsure premiums are already spiking. Nearly 90,000 Minnesotans will pay more in 2026, averaging $177 more per month. Individual plans increased 21.5% on average. Congress reduced the subsidies that kept premiums affordable.

The state extended its reinsurance program through 2027 with $335.6 million for 2026. That partially offsets the federal cuts. But reinsurance is a state program that requires ongoing legislative support.

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Public schools

The 2026-27 biennium allocates $25.73 billion for schools, a 4.8% increase. The basic formula is $7,481 per pupil in FY2026, rising to $7,705 in FY2027. Walz signed a $2.3 billion education investment in 2023, the largest in state history.

But the budget also cut special education transportation by 10% ($43.2 million) and slashed school library aid by $19.6 million. A $420 million general education cut is planned for the 2028-29 biennium when the state faces a projected shortfall.

The free school meals program (universal free breakfast and lunch for all K-12 students) remains active and funded. It is one of the trifecta’s most popular achievements and one of the hardest for opponents to argue against publicly.

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Clean energy

Minnesota’s 100% clean electricity by 2040 law is one of the most ambitious in the country. Zero-carbon sources supplied 55% of the state’s electricity in 2025, the sixth consecutive year above 50% and well above the 43% national average. All in-state coal plants plan to retire by 2035.

55% of Minnesota’s electricity came from zero-carbon sources in 2025 — six years running above 50%, while the national average is 43%

The law is on the books. But enforcement, funding, and implementation require a governor and legislature willing to defend it. Federal climate policy rollbacks make state-level clean energy standards more important, not less.

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2026 elections

Walz is not running. Senator Amy Klobuchar won 72% of the DFL caucus straw poll for governor. Republican Lisa Demuth won her party’s straw poll at 32%. The August 11 primary narrows both fields.

The legislature is split 101-100 overall. All 67 Senate seats and all 134 House seats are on the ballot. Control of both chambers will be decided by a handful of swing districts from Anoka to the Iron Range.

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Protect yourself right now

1. Check your voter registration. The August 11 primary is first. Verify at mnvotes.org.

2. Know your MNsure status. Premiums jumped 21.5%. Tax credit eligibility is changing. Check your options at mnsure.org before open enrollment.

3. Track your legislative district. The margin is one seat. Find out if your district is competitive. Check your legislator at leg.mn.gov.

4. Ask governor candidates what they will defend. Paid leave, free meals, abortion rights, clean energy, gun reform. Make them say which ones they would keep and which ones they would cut.

5. Use your paid leave. The program launched January 1, 2026. If you qualify, apply at the Minnesota Department of Employment. 54,000 people already have.