Big DFL ambitions head for collision with Klobuchar’s hard line on taxes

Minnesota Democrats swept back into full control of state government promising to make life more affordable, and Amy Klobuchar and DFL legislative leaders already agree lowering health care, child care and housing costs must come first. Now comes the harder part: delivering on their promises with a tight budget and a governor-elect who has ruled out raising taxes. “These are big, important issues, and some of them will cost money,” incoming House Speaker Zack Stephenson said. “We’ll just have to see where the budget’s at on these things.” That is the central challenge facing Democrats as they prepare to govern together in January. Advertisement Democrats used a historic budget surplus to enact a sweeping progressive agenda when they last held full control of Minnesota government in 2023 and 2024. Now, the moderate Klobuchar is promising a different approach, setting up a potential clash with more liberal lawmakers who are eager to address the rising cost of living without the financial cushion that fueled their ambitions three years ago. “I think you’re gonna see a very different trifecta,” said state Sen. Nick Frentz, DFL-North Mankato, using the shorthand term for holding the governor’s office and both legislative chambers. “I think you’re gonna see a DFL that wants to govern with an eye on what the people say is their priorities.” Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, also drew a distinction between the coming session and Democrats’ last stretch of unified control. “We don’t have a list of pent-up things that people want to pass,” Murphy said. “Instead, we have a pretty significant list of problems and issues that Minnesotans are experiencing.”