Rep. Roger Skraba plans April town halls, discusses legislative priorities
For the second half of the Minnesota legislative session, Minnesota House Representative District 3A Roger Skraba said legislators must balance wants vs. needs following the most recent state budget outlook.
In February, the Minnesota Management and Budget published a February 2025 Budget and Economic Forecast report identifying Minnesota’s budget outlook, which has been adjusted downward given ongoing economic and fiscal uncertainty.
The fiscal year 2026-27 projected balance is now $456 million, $160 million lower than prior estimates, according to the report. What this means for Gov. Tim Walz and the Legislature is there will be less money on the table this session.
When assessing wants vs. needs, Skraba said his priorities are mental health, HF1912, which proposes changes to the licensing conditions for hospital ‘swing beds,’ and funding for wastewater treatment facilities, among a handful of other items.
The swing bed legislation has been an ongoing focus for North Shore Health CEO Kimber Wraalstad and has bipartisan support from Skraba and Senator Grant Hauschild.
“It’s bipartisan. It really does help out this community,” Skraba said in a recent interview with WTIP.
On Friday, March 21, Skraba visited Grand Marais to meet with Cook County officials to discuss the ongoing legislative session and the priorities pertaining to Cook County. Senator Grant Hauschild also joined Skraba.
Following the meeting, Senator Hauschild hosted a community town hall, where approximately 170 to 200 public members attended.
Skraba said he intends to host public town halls throughout his district, including Grand Marais, in April. The first town hall will be in collaboration with Senator Hauschild and Minnesota State Representative District 03B Natalie Zeleznikar on Saturday, April 5, at 1 p.m. at the Two Harbors High School.
“Just so people can just come chat, come talk,” Skraba said. “Get a feel for me and for understanding what’s going on.”
Skraba said the dates and locations of the remainder of the April town halls have not yet been finalized. More information will available in the coming weeks.
WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Minnesota House Representative District 3A Roger Skraba on Friday, March 21. The audio from the interview is below.
Kalli Hawkins March 24, 2025
