Minnesota State Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy Addresses Trade, Healthcare Concerns in St. Cloud Visit

(KNSI) — Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy visited St. Cloud on Wednesday to meet with residents about pressing issues facing the state, including agricultural challenges stemming from federal trade policy and rising healthcare costs.

Murphy’s visit comes as Minnesota soybean farmers grapple with market disruptions caused by ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China. Tariffs have left farmers without their traditional market access. “China’s not buying our beans. They’re buying soybeans from other places in the world, but not from America and not from Minnesota.”

There are 26,000 soybean farmers in the state, and more than half of the crop gets exported. The president is considering a multi-billion-dollar aid package to help farmers, which would be paid for by tariff revenue, but the ongoing government shutdown has delayed the announcement and the aid.

Majority Leader Murphy also addressed growing concerns about healthcare affordability, particularly for those purchasing insurance through MNsure, the individual marketplace. Policyholders are likely experiencing sticker shock after the Minnesota Department of Commerce finalized rates for health insurance carriers for 2026, showing an increase of 20% for policies sold on MNsure.

“The concern people are sharing with me is the rates in the individual market are going up because the Congress decided not to pay for the premium subsidies that have been in place for many, many years. People are seeing double digit rate increases for their health insurance that they didn’t expect.”

As the legislature prepares to reconvene on February 17th, Murphy outlined priorities for the upcoming session, emphasizing efforts to make life more affordable for Minnesota residents and also indicated support for a bonding bill that could invest up to $1.3 billion in infrastructure projects across the state, including here in St. Cloud.

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