Minneapolis City Council - Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting Summary

Meeting Information

• Date: January 28, 2025
• Title: Regular Meeting of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee
• Present: Chowdhury (Chair), Payne, Wonsley, Rainville, Vetaw, Ellison, Osman (joined late), Cashman, Jenkins, Chavez (presence inferred from “10 present” statement)
• Absent: Not explicitly stated
• Guests: Representative Ilhan Omar
• Votes: 1 (Resolution supporting Neighbors Not Enemies Act - passed unanimously)

Highlights

• State Legislative Update covering Governor’s proposed 2026-27 budget, including potential cuts to transit funding and cannabis tax revenue
• Federal Update on Trump Administration executive orders and their potential impact on city funding and programs
• Discussion of pending federal grants and funding uncertainty
• Resolution supporting the Neighbors Not Enemies Act to repeal the Alien Enemies Act

Discussion

State Legislative Update

Director Topinka provided an update on the state legislative session, highlighting the complex power-sharing situation in both chambers. The Governor’s $65.9B budget proposal includes $748M in new spending but also $900M in reductions. Key concerns for Minneapolis include:

• Elimination of 2% cannabis tax for local governments
• Removal of general fund appropriations for light rail operations
• Reduced reimbursement for special education transportation

The presentation sparked discussion about transit funding impacts, with Chair Chowdhury expressing concern about the elimination of general fund support for light rail operations.

Federal Update and Executive Order Impact

Lauren Olson presented on recent Trump administration executive orders and their potential impact on city operations. The presentation highlighted significant uncertainty regarding federal funding and grants, particularly regarding:

• Infrastructure funding (IIJA)
• DEI initiatives
• Immigration enforcement
• Federal grant disbursements

Council Member Wonsley expressed strong concerns: “We’re going to have to think through how also on the financial – yeah, what’s the financial approach? Is it how do we manage our resources to support our residents who might potentially be seeing cuts?”

Neighbors Not Enemies Act Resolution

The committee considered a resolution supporting Representative Omar’s HR 630, the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, which would repeal the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The resolution emphasized Minneapolis’s status as a welcoming city with over 63,000 immigrant and refugee residents. Representative Omar was present and expressed gratitude for the council’s support. Passed unanimously.

Public Comments

No public comments were recorded in the transcript.