GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Saved business as the state began COVID-19 shutdowns by successfully advocating with DLI to keep open various CMBA member businesses.
• Negotiated a one-year delay and three-year phase-in of major St. Cloud SAC/WAC/TAC fee increases.
• Hosted local mayors and community development directors for important discussions about local housing and development issues, including quarterly meetings with mayors and connections with county development officials.
• Organized meeting between City of St. Cloud leadership and CMBA members to explore mitigating up-front infrastructure costs as a means of spurring more housing development.
• Co-hosted area-wide Housing Summits at SCSU, including presentations by CMBA members providing the builders’ perspectives.
• Participated in the area Affordable Workforce Housing Initiative, including working on local building fees and regulations.
• Conducted and shared the annual CMBA area survey of Municipal Development Fees and Regulatory Changes.
• Participated in the Benton County Housing Study Action Forum.
• Provided timely input to DLI, and information to CMBA members, regarding Minnesota’s new Worker Misclassification (Independent Contractor) tests.
• Shared information with CMBA members about implementation and employer compliance requirements of the new state Paid Family Medical Leave program.
• Co-hosted annual “Housing Day at The Capitol” at the Minnesota State Capitol with great participation among CMBA members and legislators.
• Delivered the voice of CMBA on industry-related legislative and regulatory matters.
• Held monthly CMBA Government Affairs meetings featuring local and regional guests on a variety of local development issues, legislative/legal/regulatory updates, and with frequent participation from area legislators.
• Posted CMBA Government Affairs news stories on the CMBA web site, www.cmbaonline.org.
  
  Collaborated with our colleagues at HFM on several state wins:
  
  
• Advanced legislation aimed at reducing land costs, potentially saving homebuyers tens of thousands of dollars per house.
• Stopped unchecked local tax on new housing, up to $10,000 per home (Multiple Attempts stopped 2019-2023).
• Delayed the 2021 Energy Code Adoption until it was folded into the 2024 code – 12 years on the same code (2023).
• Protected the Contractor Recovery Fund from being raided by solar contractors who didn’t pay-in (Rep. Mekeland bill, 2023).
• Advanced Minnesota Starter Home Act to remove barriers to more affordable home building.
• Achieved stability in the marketplace in 2025 with no new laws that would make substantial labor or environmental changes.
• Stopped a ban on Single-Family Build-For-Rent, which would have led to a decrease in housing production (2023).
• Stopped EV Chargers in New Homes ($1,500-$2,500 per home). Stopped multiple code and legislative attempts 2023-2025.
• Passed a bill to stop frivolous environmental lawsuits over city-initiated zoning changes, critical for zoning reform.
• Protected building codes from being reinterpreted by DLI whenever it suits them (Oct. 2025 Court Win)
• Held the line on the MN Lead Paint Rule for 10 years, and  removed 3.5 X cost increase over the Federal Rule (2016-Present), representing huge savings in materials, labor and administrative burdens compared to the original proposal. (CMBA’s longest direct advocacy action in collaboration with HFM.)

For more information, contact CMBA Government Affairs consultant, Steve Gottwalt, 952-923-5265, steve@cmbaonline.org