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Governor Walz's Signature Accomplishments
Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan took office in January 2019 on the promise of One Minnesota: the vision that, while we are not all the same, we are at our best when we work across lines of difference to improve the lives of all Minnesotans. Facing unprecedented challenges, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan led with a focus on investing in the things that matter most: children and families, economic opportunity, health and safety, and strong local communities. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor continue building on the accomplishments of their first term to improve the lives of Minnesotans across the state.
HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION
Governor Walz signed a $2.3 billion education budget into law – the single-largest investment in public education in state history. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan also provided Minnesota students free breakfast and lunch at school, created thousands of new pre-k seats, expanded access to mental health resources for students, and made significant investments to improve child literacy.
PROTECTING PERSONAL FREEDOMS
Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan established ironclad reproductive freedom, protections for Trans individuals, and gender-affirming care as fundamental rights in Minnesota. Governor Walz also banned the cruel, outdated practice of “conversion therapy” and ended book bans based on ideology.
IMPROVING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
Governor Walz banned the use of hand-held cell phones while driving and raised the age to purchase tobacco to 21. The Governor provided $300 million for public safety needs across the state to combat crime and broke ground on a new, centralized Minnesota State Patrol headquarters. Governor Walz took meaningful action to protect communities from gun violence, signing bills establishing a red flag law, expanding background checks, increasing criminal penalties for straw purchasing guns, and banning deadly binary trigger guns.
EXPANDING WORKERS’ RIGHTS
To make Minnesota the best state for workers, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan established paid leave, ensured paid sick days, banned non-compete agreements, and increased protections for workers in Amazon warehouses, construction sites, hospitals, nursing homes, and public schools.
STRONG COMMUNITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Governor Walz signed the largest infrastructure bill in Minnesota’s history into law to rebuild roads and bridges, repair fire stations and water treatment plants, and upgrade veterans’ homes, fish hatcheries, and flood mitigation systems – all while creating good-paying union jobs for Minnesotans. Governor Walz also provided funding to remove and replace lead pipes across the state.
TAX CUTS FOR WORKING FAMILIES AND THE MIDDLE CLASS
Governor Walz has cut taxes with every one of his budgets. Governor Walz has delivered a variety of rebate checks up to $1,300 to seniors, students, workers, and middle-class families. He also lowered taxes for small businesses and fully exempted state taxes on social security for more than three quarters of seniors.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Governor Walz has invested millions in workforce development to connect Minnesotans to high-growth, high-demand career fields like manufacturing, education, and public safety. To lower costs and grow Minnesota’s workforce, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan provided free college for students with a family income under $80,000. They also invested over $1 billion in child care and early learning opportunities.
EXPANDING VOTING RIGHTS
Governor Walz signed into law the largest expansion of voting rights in Minnesota in the last half century, restoring voting rights for over 55,000 formerly incarcerated people in Minnesota, establishing automatic voter registration, creating a permanent absentee voting status, and pre-registering 16- and 17-year-olds to vote. Governor Walz also signed the Minnesota Voting Rights Act into law – prohibiting standards that would deny or limit any citizen’s right to vote based on their race, color, or language.
LOWERING PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS
In 2023, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan took new action to significantly lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and middle-class families. They also enacted the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act to provide Minnesotans with emergency assistance and hold insulin manufacturers accountable.
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
Governor Walz signed a bipartisan bill to lead Minnesota to 100% clean electricity by 2040 all while creating good-paying jobs for Minnesotans. In 2023 alone, he signed over 40 climate initiatives into law – including provisions banning PFAS “forever chemicals,” expanding Minnesota’s electric vehicle infrastructure, and providing a tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. And in 2024, he cut red tape for clean energy projects to put a downpayment on rapid clean energy job growth.
CUTTING CHILD POVERTY
Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan established a nation-leading child tax credit to cut child poverty in Minnesota by up to one-third.
INCREASING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Governor Walz signed a historic $1 billion investment in housing into law – building a foundation for safety, stability, and economic growth across the state. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan also took new action to protect tenants’ rights.
LEGALIZING ADULT-USE CANNABIS
Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan legalized adult-use cannabis and expunged nonviolent cannabis convictions in Minnesota.
PROTECTING MINNESOTA CONSUMERS
Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan helped more Minnesotans recover from medical debt – banning medical debt from impacting credit scores, preventing medical providers from withholding medically necessary care due to unpaid debt, and eliminating automatic transfers of medical debt to a patient's spouse. Governor Walz also signed a bill into law banning hidden junk fees and cracking down on fraudulent ticket sales.
PROTECTING SENIORS
To protect Minnesota seniors, Governor Walz signed historic, bipartisan elder abuse legislation to regulate assisted-living centers for the first time. He also allocated $173 million in direct funding for 340 nursing homes across the state.
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