Dear Neighbor,
Greetings from Ghent, where I have returned home since the legislature adjourned earlier this week.
Things feel a little different this time because I have announced my retirement from the Minnesota House of Representatives. On one hand, I don’t have to spend long days and even longer nights on the House floor discussing bills anymore. On the other hand, I don’t get to spend long days and even longer nights on the House floor discussing bills anymore.
It has been the thrill of a lifetime to serve the people of this area, and to practically watch my children grow up on the House floor. Those are a couple of the things I touched on during my retirement speech at the Capitol on Monday and you can see that video here.
I appreciate all the support I have received from local residents over the years and will continue doing my best to serve them until my term officially expires at the start of next year. In fact, Sen. Dahms and I are scheduling a series of town hall meetings TOMORROW in seven different communities.
Here is more on the town halls and a recap of the recently concluded session:
Town hall meetings
Sen. Gary Dahms and I invite area residents to attend our last joint town hall meetings tomorrow (May 21) in Tracy, Marshall, Minneota, Canby, Madison, Dawson, and Granite Falls. We have enjoyed holding these town hall meetings over the years and look forward to visiting with our constituents to hear their thoughts and thank them for their support. The town hall meetings also are an opportunity for constituents to receive an update on the recently concluded legislative session and ask questions.
Here's the itinerary:
Tax relief
Throughout the 2026 session, House Republicans remained focused on lowering costs and protecting taxpayer dollars. We needed to get our state pointed in the right direction after the Democrat trifecta spent two years raising taxes by $10 billion, spending our $18 billion surplus and growing government by 40 percent. The results we achieved show House Republicans restored balance in St. Paul. We not only stopped billions of dollars in new Democrat-proposed tax increases, but we delivered approximately $400 million in tax relief delivered, including:
- $125 million in property tax cuts
- $250 million in car tab fee reductions
- Ending the ballpark sales tax
- One Big Beautiful Bill tax conformity to help Minnesota businesses and job creators
- Extending the Pass-Through Entity tax provision, providing hundreds of millions in relief for Minnesota businesses at zero cost to the state
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel credit.
- Delaying PFAS reporting requirements for 9 months through the end of the 2027 session, giving Minnesota businesses relief from costly compliance requirements.
Addressing fraud
The House approved Medicaid work requirements included in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill to create long-term savings, strengthen accountability, and help combat fraud. This builds on the House’s recent passage of legislation creating a new Office of the Inspector General and implementing additional anti-fraud reforms aimed at protecting taxpayer dollars and restoring trust in government.
Supporting school safety
House Republicans made school safety a top priority this session and approved meaningful investments in evidence-based solutions like anonymous threat reporting and mental health support to help stop violence before it happens. Key provisions in the bill include an optional anonymous threat reporting system, school-linked behavioral health grants, mobile crisis units, anti-grooming legislation and compensatory revenue support for schools.
Helping counties
The House also approved major investments in county technology updates that are essential to protecting taxpayers, improving accountability, and ensuring benefits go to eligible Minnesotans instead of being stolen by fraudsters. Remarkably, counties have been forced to rely on outdated computer systems from the 1980s and 1990s, making fraud detection incredibly difficult.
Thank you
Thanks for all the support this session and over the years. As I said, I’m still on the job another six or seven months, so please reach out to me if there’s anything I can do to help.
Sincerely,
Chris