Legislative Update – March 19, 2026
Dear neighbors,
It’s a shorter week at the Capitol, as committees are off for Eid today. Eid Mubarak to all who celebrate! When we return to work on Monday, it will be committee deadline week, when most bills that have a financial impact must have their first hearing.
This week, I met with Renee from our district to talk insurance policy, Sean from Education Minnesota, folks from the Minnesota Association of Community Telecommunications Administrators, and Team MAPE! Thanks for meeting and sharing your perspectives.
Taking on Monopoly Power
Yesterday, the House Agriculture Committee heard my bill protecting Minnesota’s meat industry from consolidation and taking on the vertical integration that is creating corporate monopolies.
It’s not every day that farmers, grocers, and meatpacking workers are all on the same page, but my bill has the support of the Minnesota Farmers Union, the Grocers’ Association, and the UFCW meatpacking union, whose national organization released this statement. You can watch their testimony and my comments here.
Consolidation takes power out of the hands of our meatpacking unions, our local community grocers, and our independent farmers. My bill takes on the corporate monopolies and protects Minnesotans, and I’m glad to report it passed out of committee.
Parkinson’s Research and Prevention
Lastly, I want to highlight Jill Burcum’s most recent column in the Star Tribune, where she shares her story as someone struggling to understand a family member’s Parkinson’s diagnosis.
This year, we have an opportunity to deliver hope to similar families across the state. We can pass legislation to invest in Parkinson’s research and ban chemicals that have been linked to double the rate of Parkinson’s disease.
I was glad to talk with Jill about our work at the Capitol, and I’m continuing to push for these bills to become law this year.
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