Legislative Update – March 12, 2026
Dear neighbors,
It’s another busy week at the Capitol, as we continue to present legislation and find areas for compromise. This week, I joined my GOP colleague Rep. Franson to support her bill to help us fund wastewater cleanup projects across the state, and met with members of the Minnesota School Board Association, Mary from Air Transport District 142 in Newport, and Cody from IAM Local 1956.
Preventing Parkinson’s Disease
Yesterday, I joined Parkinson’s patients and advocates as we took the first step towards passing legislation to prevent the disease and increase our research efforts in Minnesota.
In the Agriculture Committee, we heard a bill banning a chemical used in herbicides called paraquat. It's a chemical that, when sprayed, makes those exposed twice as likely to develop Parkinson's.
It's banned in 70 countries, including in the U.K. where it is produced, and in China, where the company that sells it is based. The committee heard from Parkinson's patients who are asking us to take say no more, take action, and ban it.
We also heard from Big Ag lobbyists who told us not to ban this seldom-used chemical. We heard the same arguments we’ve heard before: that it’s too hard and that we need this tool. But the real tools are the canes and crutches that our testifiers use every day.
I’ll be pushing to pass this bill this session, and I’ll keep you updated as we continue to work on it. You can watch my comments in committee here.
Venison Donation Program
I’m glad to share that the Hunter-Harvested Venison Donation Program is a program set up by legislation I authored is still running strong.
Minnesota hunters donated nearly 14,000 pounds of venison to food banks, food shelves, and feeding programs in 2025, an amount that exceeded 2024 donations by more than 50%. It provides an excellent source of protein to people in need and supports efforts to manage local deer populations. You can learn more here.
Stay in Touch!
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and feedback throughout the year. You can reach me by email at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-6828.
For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these regular legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative