Julie Blaha
Coverage of Julie Blaha in the Nexus archive.
- Federal changes to SNAP could cost Minnesota more than $100M per year
Federal changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could cost Minnesota up to $250 million annually. The law requires states with higher payment error rates to cover a larger share of SNAP costs, and Minnesota's error rate increased from 9% in 2024 to 12% in 2025. The state must now cover 75% of administrative costs for the program, up from 50%.
- State officials demand transparency as businesses get billions in Trump tariff refunds
State officials are demanding transparency and consumer fairness as the Trump administration refunds billions in tariffs following a Supreme Court ruling that deemed some tariffs illegal. Over $166 billion in import tax refunds are being processed, but companies may not pass savings to consumers who paid higher prices. Eight Democratic state fiscal leaders urge public disclosure of firms receiving refunds and ensure consumer compensation.