New Dashboard Shows How Federal Funding Cuts Hurt Minnesota

Since President Donald Trump returned to office, there have been many executive actions and orders, many of which have been controversial and have led to lawsuits against his administration.

Among the most talked about are the cuts to federal funding and cancellations of existing programs and initiatives. In all this noise, it can be hard to know exactly how all these actions may directly impact your life.

Recently, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced that a new dashboard was now available that allows everyone to 'track disruptions and cancellations of federal funding and their impact on services available to Minnesotans.'

Federal Funding Cancellations Have Already Had A Significant Impact

According to the press release from the Governor's office, federal disruptions and cuts thus far include grants to track measles and avian influenza, provide heating assistance, and mitigate flooding.

The Governor's office says that despite court orders prohibiting the federal government from freezing many funding streams, disruptions to federal funds have continued. These actions have already directly led to negative impacts on people across a wide range of sectors in Minnesota.

It cites the following examples:

Minnesota Department of Health

On March 24, the federal government cut more than $220 million in previously approved public health funding without any advance notice. Public impacts include:

A potential rise in preventable illnesses due to reductions in funding for vaccines, disease tracking, and outbreak responses
Loss of infection-prevention training and capacity building at large long-term care facilities, as well as funding for HVAC upgrades to help prevent the spread of disease
Funding disruptions and loss for disease tracking and response in long-term care facilities, shelters, and correctional facilities
Layoffs of 170 Minnesota Department of Health employees and retraction of job offers to nearly 20 others

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Minnesota Department of Human Services

On March 25, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notified the Minnesota Department of Human Services that several grants totaling up to $27.5 million had been abruptly terminated the day before.

The sudden termination of previously authorized funds will have immediate and wide-ranging impacts. The lost funding impacts:

School-based mental health services for children
Access to the life-saving overdose reversal drug naloxone
Critical treatment and recovery supports for people experiencing behavioral health issues
Access to behavioral health care
Ability to address disparities in Minnesota’s mental health system

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Minnesota Department of Agriculture

The Governor's office says that in March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it was cancelling some grants that had already been approved to states.

Minnesota was set to receive nearly $18 million over three years under approved agreements with the USDA. The canceled funding would have benefited Minnesota farmers, schools, early childcare operations, and food shelves.

Minnesotans Can Now Track How Federal Government Actions Impact Their Lives

While some disruptions are short-lived, other grants and awards are abruptly canceled altogether, resulting in layoffs and fewer services for Minnesotans.

“Decisions made by billionaires in Washington are cutting real programs that save Minnesotans money, monitor disease outbreaks, and keep us safe. And they're just getting started on their promised cuts to Social Security and Medicaid,” said Governor Walz.

He goes on to say that the state is actively tracking cuts and changes so that Minnesotans can stay informed on what he knows and what's to come.

Minnesota state agencies now report federal funding disruptions or cancellations to Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), which tracks the ever-changing data and posts information about impacted funds on a new website, which is open to the public.

The site, which you can access through the button below, lists which grants or awards were disrupted or canceled, the federal agency that awarded the funds, the state agency that oversees the funds, a description of the impacted grant, the total award, the amount of the award impacted by the federal action, and the date of the action.

Federal Funding Disruptions Impacting Minnesota

According to the website, a total of $282,531,386 in Minnesota funds had been cancelled as of April 18, 2025, while an additional $73,646,921 is at risk of being cut.

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These Common Household Items Are Now Banned In Minnesota

A hot topic lately is PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as "forever chemicals" because they are difficult for humans to detoxify and have half-lives measured in years. These chemicals accumulate in the body over time and can cause significant health issues even at low exposure levels

PFAS are commonly found in the environment and the human body and have been linked to a range of health concerns including increased cholesterol levels, potential disruption of hormone systems, reduced immune function, increased risk of certain cancers, developmental issues in children, and reproductive problems, particularly in pregnant women.

On January 1, 2024, Minnesota prohibited PFAS in firefighting foam and food packaging. The state is taking an even more aggressive stance against the chemicals in 2025.

According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the first prohibitions of products containing intentionally added PFAS under Amara's Law (Minn. Stat. § 116.943) are now in effect in Minnesota, meaning you can no longer legally purchase these items.

If you're wondering if you already have products with intentionally added PFAS, you can take the following steps to be sure:

Check the label - Look for products that are labeled as PFAS-free.
Check for keywords - Look for words like "waterproof," "stain-repellent," or "dirt-repellant" on the tag.
Check for ingredients - Avoid products that contain ingredients with "perfluoro" or "fluoro" in their name.
Use a third-party verification service - Some organizations offer third-party verification of products that claim to be made without PFAS.

As of January 1, 2025, you can no longer purchase products with intentionally added PFAS in Minnesota. These products fall under the 11 categories below.

Gallery Credit: David Drew

See How Minnesota's License Plates Have Evolved Since 1909

Nothing beats a nostalgia trip. It's always fun to see how things looked the year you were born and how much they've changed throughout the years.

Minnesota's license plates have certainly gone through many evolutions. The first "license plate" was actually a rectangular black leather automobile license tag with a brass number '1' on the center front. It was issued by the State Boiler Inspector in the State of Minnesota in 1903.

The first Minnesota license plate as we know it was issued in 1909. Let's take a look at that license plate and then all the plates that followed, along with some interesting Wikipedia knowledge as we go.

We've certainly come a long way, but it's also interesting that the now popular blackout plates have been around before.

Gallery Credit: David Drew