The Edina City Council met with state legislators Jan. 7 to discuss the city's 2025 legislative priorities amid ongoing political gridlock at the Minnesota Legislature.

City Manager Scott Neil outlined five priority items for the upcoming session, including bonding bill requests for the Highway 100 and Vernon Avenue interchange improvements and the city's aging aquatic center built in 1958. The city also seeks a sales tax exemption for projects funded through voter-approved local option sales tax measures and extensions for two tax increment financing districts on France Avenue.

Much of the discussion centered on housing policy, with legislators and city officials reviewing ongoing negotiations around state housing legislation. Daniel Lightfoot of the League of Minnesota Cities said conversations have focused on creating state frameworks that allow cities to scale housing requirements to fit individual communities rather than completely removing local decision-making authority.

The meeting highlighted significant challenges facing the 2025 legislative session. Both the Minnesota House and Senate are tied, with the House at 67-67 and the Senate at 33-33 following the death of Senator Nicole Mitchell. Representative Cheryl Youakim noted that power-sharing negotiations continue, with a special election in Senate District 60 expected to break the Senate tie.

Legislators discussed budget constraints for the upcoming session, with Senator Ron Latz noting a projected $5.1 billion shortfall in the state's tail period despite having approximately $600 million in available funds for the current biennium. The bonding bill forecast allows for $780 million in new debt authorization, nearly $200 million less than previous years due to debt service concerns.