Continue your Democracy is a Verb with attending our upcoming Social Action Films!

Register today!

The 2026 Legislative session has officially come to a close. We are immensely proud of the collective energy, lobby days, and thousands of constituent messages our community sent to St. Paul. The reality of a split and deeply complex session means that several of our highest-priority bills did not make it across the finish line.

As an organization rooted in turning progressive Jewish values into direct action, we believe in clear eyes and complete transparency about the legislative landscape. Here is a detailed breakdown of exactly where our core priority bills stalled in the final days of session, and what it means for our work ahead.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
The Goal: To pass a resolution putting Minnesota ERA on the statewide ballot, letting voters permanently enshrine protections for gender, race, and reproductive autonomy into our state constitution.
What Happened: Despite incredible momentum and massive showing at the ERA Day at the Capitol, the legislative session concluded without the House and Senate finalizing an agreement to put the ERA on the ballot. Deep disagreements over the precise scope of the amendment’s language, specifically regarding protections for gender identity and reproductive freedom, prevented the unified push needed to clear both chambers before the final deadline.
The Takeaway: This is a profound disappointment, but it is a delay, not a defeat. We will spend the upcoming months with our coalition partners to bridge these legislative divides so we can return to the Capitol with an undeniable mandate.

Building Minnesota Families Act (Infertility Coverage Mandate) 
The Goal: To require Minnesota health insurance plans, including MinnesotaCare and medical assistance, to provide comprehensive coverage for infertility diagnosis, treatment, and standard fertility preservation series.
What Happened: Working alongside the Minnesota Building Families Association and RESOLVE, we watched this bill gain historic, heartbreakingly close momentum. While it advanced through key health and human services committees, the bill ultimately failed to pass the Senate in the final weekend of the session due to pushback over the projected fiscal impact on state insurance programs and insurance industry lobbying.
The Takeaway: For the thousands of Minnesotans struggling to build their families, this loss is deeply personal. We proved this session that fertility care is a matter of reproductive equity, and we will continue to advocate alongside these families until care is accessible to all.

UnRestrict Minnesota: Reproductive Health Equity Grants
The Goal: To establish state-funded Reproductive Health Equity Grants designed to stabilize abortion providers, increase reimbursement rates, and ensure clinics can remain open to serve low-income individuals and out of state patients seeking safe care.
What Happened: While Minnesota has successfully protected the legal right to abortion, systemic financial barriers remain. The proposal for dedicated health equity grants faced stiff resistance in an absolute crunch over supplemental budget spending. Lawmakers opted not to allocate the necessary state funds to this specific grant pool before the session closed.
The Takeaway: Rights on paper mean nothing without physical access to care. With clinics facing immense strain, we remain committed to pushing for the structural funding necessary to keep reproductive Health care accessible and affordable.

Systemic Gun Violence Prevention Measures
The Goal: To pass proactive, community driven gun safety measures, including stricter storage requirements and community led violence intervention funding.
What Happened: Despite persistent organizing and public rallies, major structural gun violence prevention bills stalled in committee and were ultimately left out of the final omnibus packages. Legislative leaders focused heavily on fiscal policy in the final weeks, leaving little time to navigate the intense partisan gridlock surrounding firearm regulations.
The Takeaway: Protecting our neighbors and schools requires constant pressure. We refuse to accept gun violence as normal, and we will continue building coalitions to hold lawmakers accountable to public safety.

“Democracy is a Verb” requires stamina, persistence, and an unwavering commitment to the long game. The stalling of these bills is a sobering reminder of why our work is critical. We are incredibly grateful for your tireless advocacy over the last few months. Rest up, and show up to our upcoming summer events and planning sessions. We need your voice, your power, and your passion to layout our path to victory for next year.

Resources

Below are resources to familiarize yourself with, as well as connections to community organizations that are providing important training opportunities.

Stand with Minnesota – an updated directory of places to donate
MONARCA Training – rapid response line for peaceful demonstration; training to be an “upstander”
ACLU Immigrant Rights – promote, protect immigrant rights
MIRAC Know Your Rights Video – know your rights video and option to request training
Immigrant Defense Network Tools for Community Defense – has a handbook on being a constitutional observer
COPAL – Comunidades Organizando El Poder Y La Acción Latina
UNIDOS-MN – Builds power with Minnesota’s working families to advance social, racial and economic justice for all
Immigration Legal Resource Center – Red Cards. Cards you can print to keep so that you know your rights

Do you know of anyone who has signed up for our emails but have had trouble receiving them or finding it in their inbox? Please encourage them to add “info@ncjwmpls.org” to their email contacts. This should help direct our newsletters to their inbox.

You can find an archive of our newsletters on our website HERE
As well as an archive of Courts Matter updates online HERE

We know these are impossibly heavy and uncertain times. May we draw strength from one another and find healing through connection and action. As our tradition teaches, caring for each other is how we endure, and how we move forward together.