House Minority Leader Blasts Democrats’ Nursing Home Funding “Victory Lap”

(KNSI) — Governor Tim Walz, Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and a bipartisan group of legislative leaders Tuesday visited a nursing home in Coon Rapids to highlight $173 million in direct funding for 340 nursing homes across the state.

“This session, we worked across the aisle to prioritize the needs of middle class families and seniors. We’re providing direct support to nursing homes across the state to ensure Minnesota’s seniors have the quality care and safe environments they deserve,” said Governor Walz. “By funding nursing homes and investing in workforce incentives, we’re working to ensure our seniors have access to high-quality care while bringing new workers into this critical profession and building the workforce of the future.”

The funding took effect this month.

House Minority Leader Representative Lisa Demuth (R – Cold Spring) blasted the governor for saying it was a bipartisan effort, as Republicans were mostly cast aside when discussing major issues this past session.

She says Democrats “consistently ignored pleas from nursing homes” and “dedicated just $3.9 million in new nursing home funding in their original budget proposals” and repeatedly voted against Republican efforts to “truly prioritize nursing homes and address the existential threat they were facing,” despite the state having a record budget surplus.

“We heard Minnesota nursing homes say loud and clear that they need more support,” said Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “We know these payments won’t solve every challenge, but I’m grateful that they will be getting these critical funds. The real winners will be people across Minnesota who rely on nursing homes and will continue to have access to quality care in their communities.”

Demuth said, “House and Senate Republicans were the only true champions of nursing home funding, and it’s disingenuous for Democrats to be taking a victory lap after refusing to prioritize aging Minnesotans this past session.

“It wasn’t until the final hours of session that Republicans reached an agreement with the Democrat trifecta that secured the funding nursing homes needed and deserved.”

She said the Republican caucus is grateful they could pass the funding but concluded by saying it’s “disappointing Democrats played politics with the lives of seniors until the final hours of the session.”

At the 11th hour of the 2023 legislative session, both sides were still haggling over issues within the bonding bill, and Republicans blocked it while pressing for deeper tax cuts that would come from the surplus. Ultimately, the two sides settled for a $300 million cash infusion to help struggling nursing homes with cost pressures to stay open and staffing shortages.

The first chunk of that money was disbursed on August 1st.

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