Matt’s work at the Capitol
Matt’s first two terms have been productive ones for Blaine and Lexington. Rep. Norris has been working hard to deliver results for his district passing 42 bills into law.
Highlights include securing $102.75 million for Highway 65, cutting property taxes, passing $300 million in public safety aid, and leading the charge for manufactured home park residents.
A commitment to bipartisanship.
75% of Matt’s bills with co-authors had both Democratic and Republican authors signed on!
$102.75 million secured for Highway 65!
Rep. Norris worked tirelessly to deliver on this top priority for our district. With the state dollars Rep. Norris was able to secure, construction on the intersections from 99th Ave. to 117th Ave. can begin moving forward. Rep. Norris was the chief author of the Highway 65 bill in the House, and the only Blaine legislator to vote for all $102.75 million in funding.
Construction is finally beginning in 2026!
Rep. Matt Norris and House Transportation Chair Frank Hornstein discuss the $68.75 million for Highway 65 in the Transportation Budget Bill.
Cutting Taxes for Minnesotans
As Vice Chair of the Tax Committee, Rep. Norris helped pass the largest tax cut in state history!
Property Tax Cuts
Based on voter feedback, Rep. Norris proudly authored a “supercharged” targeted property tax refund for homeowners who see a big property tax spike. Rep. Norris also updated the limits for the Homestead Market Value Exclusion. Now homes valued at up to $517,200 qualify. And increases in state aid to local governments that Rep. Norris championed have helped prevent even steeper local property tax increases.
Eliminating Taxes on Social Security
Rep. Norris led the effort with Rep. Lislegard to eliminate the tax on social security benefits for the vast majority of Minnesota seniors. Thanks to the changes Rep. Norris helped pass, 76% of Minnesota seniors won’t pay a single cent in state tax on their social security benefits while 84% will at least see a reduction. Married seniors making up to $140,000 and single seniors making up to $118,000 will benefit.
Lowering Taxes for Small Businesses
Rep. Norris has worked for several years with the Minnesota Retailers on a bill to help small businesses offset the cost of collecting sales tax for the state and local government. For the first time ever, Rep. Norris was able to get this proposal included in the House Tax Bill in 2025!
On the House floor, Rep. Norris walked through some of the highlights of the Tax Bill he helped pass as Vice Chair of the Tax Committee.
Speaker Melissa Hortman hands Taxes Vice Chair Norris a pen after signing the enrollment of the Tax Bill, which represented the largest tax cut in Minnesota history!
Prioritizing Public Safety and the Heroes Who Keep Us Safe
Rep. Norris was the chief author in the House for $300 million in public safety aid for cities and counties to help keep our neighborhoods safe. Thanks to Rep. Norris’s efforts, Anoka County will receive over $4 million, Blaine will receive over $3 million, and Lexington will receive $117,000. Watch Matt’s report to the Legislature on the impact of these funds.
Rep. Norris also led the bipartisan effort to renew key powers for the Anoka County Joint Law Enforcement Council. This group allows law enforcement agencies to coordinate and save money for county taxpayers.
And Rep. Norris led a coalition of police, community leaders, and young people to pass a bill to reduce the number of youth committing repeated crimes in Hennepin, Ramsey, and Anoka Counties.
Rep. Norris also worked to keep our heroes safe. He was the chief author of a new law that will eliminate the use of cancer-causing “forever chemicals” called PFAS from firefighting foam. The new law also requires a report on how to eliminate PFAS from the gear firefighters wear. Finally, the bill Rep. Norris got passed creates a voluntary biomonitoring program for firefighters so they can catch any negative health effects from these chemicals early.
Standing up for Manufactured Housing Residents
Rep. Norris is leading the charge at the State Capitol to pass the Manufactured Home Park Resident Bill of Rights. This bill would protect residents from large spikes in lot rent and make it easier for residents to buy their park. Check out these stories on his work from WCCO, the Star Tribune, and Blaine Life.
Manufactured housing bills passed by Rep. Norris:
Secured $17 million for manufactured home park infrastructure grants and loans.
Passed $10 million for manufactured home financing, down payment assistance, and repair/renovation.
Created new ways to help convert parks to resident cooperative ownership, including notice requirements when a park is being sold, a $10 million revolving loan fund, and a tax credit to incentivize park owners to sell to residents.
Authored the Minnesota Cooperative Housing Act to make it easier for parks to form resident-owned co-ops when their community sells. The bill passed 128-1!
