Good morning. This is the last newsletter before Capitol View takes a holiday break.

The sweeping budget bill that contains most of President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda is back in the hands of the U.S. House. With a tiebreaker vote from Vice President JD Vance  Tuesday, the giant package of tax and spending cut measures cleared the Senate. No Democrats supported it and three Republicans voted against it for varying reasons. The bill would extend tax cuts enacted during Trump’s first White House term, add a new exemption for tipped income and make other changes that will add to the debt. To offset some of the costs, tax credits for renewable energy were rolled back and new restrictions on Medicaid were made. If the House goes along — no sure thing, but it seems likely — the bill would head to Trump’s desk. And it’s safe to say it’ll be a centerpiece of the 2026 campaign where Democrats are trying to break a Republican lock on Washington.

Minnesota county commissioners say a federal budget reconciliation bill could lead to hikes in local property taxes. Star Tribune reporters Christopher Vondracek, Jp Lawrence and Trey Mewes report that while the federal proposal could generate tax savings for small business owners and individual filers, it could also force counties to consider increases in property tax rates to offset a shift in funding for SNAP, the nutrition program that supports needy families. Because Minnesota counties administer the program and would be expected to pick up a larger part of the bill, county officials say they’d have to look for areas to cut elsewhere or pass the cost off onto local taxpayers.

Social media companies are suing the state over a new law that requires enhanced privacy settings and personalized content aggregation for users. The Legislature approved the proposal last year that would require social media companies with more than 10,000 monthly users in Minnesota to set default privacy settings and let users opt to ramp up those privacy settings and optimize content that complies with users’ expressed preferences. The law took effect Tuesday. NetChoice, a group representing social media companies, argues that the so-called Minnesota Prohibiting Social Media Manipulation Act “weaponizes transparency to compel speech, curb editorial discretion and coerce publishers subject to the requirements into adopting state-preferred platform design and messaging.” The group is asking the court to deem the law unconstitutional and bar enforcement of it.

A lot of people inside the Legislature and outside of it are watching closely to see how the assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman and the shooting of another state lawmaker change the Capitol tone.  MPR’s Cathy Wurzer spoke with Rep. Walter Hudson on Tuesday about how he might choose his words more carefully. Wurzer began by asking Hudson about calling Democrats “demons” and whether he regrets it. Hudson, R-Albertville, answered “I do because it was directed at the person, as opposed to the policy.” He talked about pushing back against those who use harsh language online even during tragedies like the Hortman killings. “It's a different consideration when you're living it than when you're observing it. And for a lot of folks, politics is their entertainment. It's like sports, right? And just like you get the fans in the seats who are with makeup and outlandish costumes and signs, you get an analogous sort of participant or activist in the political world, where for them it's about the fun of rabble rousing and saying something and provoking the other side and making fun of the other team's fans. And so those lines get blurred in terms of who's serious and who's not, who's just here to have fun and who's actually committed to the process of governing and listening and developing solutions to problems.”

A pair of former lawmakers are raising their hands for public service again. Within the last week, Gov. Tim Walz named former state Rep. King Banaian to the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board for a term that runs through Jan. 2028. He fills a seat designated for a former Republican legislator. Meanwhile, former state Sen. Richard Cohen, who is in the top 10 all time for number of years served, will fill a slot on the Minnesota State Arts Board. The DFLer left office after 2020. The term on the arts board runs through 2029.

Finally, Minnesota lawmakers are shredders at heart. In their 2025 session — the special one actually — legislators made it easier for cities and other entities to pave the way for eight skate park projects around the state. It follows years of lobbying by a coalition trying to promote the value of parks in giving younger people a constructive activity. All in, there has been $4 million set aside in recent years for the skate park development. MinnPost reporter Brian Arola wrote about the drive for the half-pipes, grind boxes and hubbas that will result and where they’ll be located.