As the 2024 legislative session drew to a close on May 20, the lack of transparency and bipartisanship troubled me.

In my 12 years as your state senator, I have never seen such a disappointing conclusion to a session. Quite frankly, it has got to be one of the most disgraceful endings to a session that I have witnessed.

With complete control of the Minnesota Legislature, the majority party had two years to pass their “priority bills.” However, due to their poor time management, Democrats combined all their agenda items into a single omnibus bill in the final hours of session. You may hear claims to rationalize this such as, “Well, you know, Republicans just talked too much. They filibustered too much.” However, this is far from the truth.

During the final days of the 2024 session, the Senate was in recess for approximately 18 hours, providing ample opportunity to find a reasonable way to end the session. But despite the best efforts of Republicans to do so, the majority refused to work across the aisle.

Instead, they forced through a 1,494-page mega omnibus bill in the final hour of session. This was done without giving the people of Minnesota a chance to see an actual true and honest debate on the House or Senate floor. In fact, the bill language was not even posted online for legislators or the public to read. It will take weeks to fully understand what is in this bill.

What we do know for certain is that it contains controversial policies that will raise your taxes, increase your energy costs and threaten your constitutional rights.

In the final minutes of session, Senate Democrats also attempted to pass a partisan cash capital improvements bill. We once again saw zero transparency in the process, as the majority did not share the bill before bringing it up for a vote. It was not until after session that my Republican colleagues and I had the chance to review the list of projects. But instead of a balanced bill that serves the entire state, the projects primarily focused on the metro area and largely neglected Greater Minnesota.

Ultimately, the bill died after it failed to pass before the midnight deadline. This legislation should have focused on the crucial needs of communities across Minnesota, not just select areas.

With that said, you might be wondering — was there anything good to come out of this session?

Yes.

A key issue that Senate Republicans fought for all session is the restoration of religious liberties to the Minnesota Human Rights bill. I am grateful to share that we were successful in reinstating the protections that were removed by Democrats last year. Now, our faith communities have the clarity they need to make decisions consistent with their beliefs.

Another issue Senate Republicans successfully advocated for this session is meaningful aid for our rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. I am pleased to share that we passed a strong bipartisan bill to provide a $30 million aid package, which supports EMS providers who primarily serve Greater Minnesota. This will provide a lifeline to ensure Minnesotans continue to have access to these lifesaving services.

These successes are the result of true bipartisan work and collaboration, and they are the type of policies that Minnesotans deserve.

Even with the issues that have arisen this year, it remains the greatest privilege to represent Southwestern Minnesota. You did not send me to St. Paul to quit, and I will continue to represent your values and fight for your needs.

— Bill Weber represents District 21 in the Minnesota Senate