Hello from the State Capitol,
Earlier this week, lawmakers returned to the State Capitol for the start of the 2026 legislative session. Committees began holding hearings on Wednesday, and with a session that only lasts 3 months this year, we are hitting the ground running.
In the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee in which I co-chair, we heard presentations from the Minnesota Guardian ad Litem Board and the Minnesota Competency Attainment Board. I expect we’ll be debating bills before long.
ADDRESSING FRAUD
One topic I know will receive great debate this session is fraud. With at least $9 billion already stolen from state taxpayers, it is critical that we approve bills that stop fraud from happening in this state and start holding those who are scamming the system accountable.
Numerous proposals have already been discussed. They include creating an independent Office of the Inspector General to investigate and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in Minnesota; requiring agencies to halt payments when fraud is suspected, rather than continuing to fund bad actors; and establishing a fraud reporting hotline for state employees and the public to report suspicious activity.
PRESERVE GIRLS’ SPORTS ACT
I am chief-author of the Preserving Girls Sports Act in the Minnesota House, and its become clear quick legislative action needs to be taken on this bill.
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that males who consider themselves a different gender have the right to compete on female teams. This is clearly an assault on the federal Title IX law. The Preserving Girls Sports act would prevent athletes who were born as boys from participating in girls sporting events, which is just common sense in order to maintain safety and fairness in girls’ sports.
LOCAL VISITS
I enjoyed meeting with constituents who belong to AFSCME on Thursday.
I was also able to visit with some students who were visiting from the University of Minnesota-Duluth!
Have a good weekend,
Peggy