St. Louis County gains aid, tech funding as session ends

St. Louis County got a statewide $90 million commitment to modernize the aging technology behind human services, plus one-time state aid to help counties absorb federal cost shifts in SNAP and Medicaid for the next year. County leaders said the session delivered help with real local consequences, but it did not solve the longer-term strain they expect to keep facing after the overhaul, which is expected to take several years.

County Board Chair Mike Jugovich said the county had been bracing for gridlock in a closely divided Legislature and was pleased with how hard the local delegation worked on the county’s behalf. County Administrator Kevin Gray said the session was challenging but encouraging because of the commitment of local representatives and senators. The timing mattered in St. Louis County, where officials had already proposed a 2026 property-tax levy of $202,669,428, a 12.4% increase from 2025, making state help with technology and human-services costs especially important to county budgets.

The county also said lawmakers provided limited first-year funding to begin implementing the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act. Updated language affecting medical staff and jail health care was included as well, with the county saying the changes ensure incarcerated people receive needed care. St. Louis County said bonding dollars will also support infrastructure and economic development projects in numerous cities across the county, including work tied to the Duluth Airport Authority, the 148th Fighter Wing, the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center and the Union Gospel Mission.

The broader deal that let lawmakers finish the 2026 session included a major rescue package for Hennepin County Medical Center, with $205 million in immediate state reserves and a separate $500 million reserve account available beginning next year. The Legislature also approved a $1.2 billion infrastructure and bonding bill, one-year reductions in state vehicle registration fees and an extension of the homestead credit, which will increase property tax refunds for many homeowners.

It also passed a marquee anti-fraud bill creating an Office of Inspector General, a move supporters cast as a way to stop fraud before it happens. The office would be appointed by the governor, serve a five-year term, require three-fifths Senate confirmation and be able to investigate public and private entities receiving public dollars. For St. Louis County, the session ended with tangible aid for services, hospitals and local projects, but the longer fight over human-services costs and county finances remained on the table.