Another session of the Minnesota State Legislature came to a close, yesterday. It marked the end of a historic and challenging biennium. The Minnesota House stood as the only evenly divided legislative body in the country. The work of the entire 2026 legislative session needed to be done in the shadow of tragedy, as legislators had to govern while continuing to mourn the loss of Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman.
ECC would like to begin by thanking each and every member of both the House and Senate for stepping up for public service at a fraught moment in the history of our state and country. As an organization that is closely involved in legislative and regulatory advocacy, we strongly believe that the drama that plays out on social media and cable news obscures what we see up close. Namely, we continue to see dedicated public servants, engaged in good faith disagreement about policy questions that are deeply important to the future of our state. ECC continues to believe that public service is a noble calling. There is no way to adequately convey our gratitude to those who serve and their families, particularly in a moment in history puts their and their families' very lives on the line.
Unfortunately, many of ECC's priorities for this session did not make it into law. Supplemental state funding for energy assistance and additional funding for low-income weatherization were not included in the spending bills that passed. As countless low-income families across the State continue to struggle to afford their utility bills, ECC is committed to carrying these and other affordability initiatives forward when the legislature re-convenes next January.
One item that did pass was a study on potentially lifting Minnesota's moratorium on nuclear energy. As our state works its way towards a 100% carbon free future, ECC eagerly awaits the study's findings on the role that nuclear could play in that future.