Legislative Update from Rep. Kristin Robbins

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March 27, 2026

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

Today marks the date of the first and second committee deadline in the Minnesota Legislature. This means if a bill hasn’t moved forward in a committee at this point, it is likely dead for the remainder of session.

Friday also marks the start of the legislature’s Easter/Passover break. We will return to St. Paul to resume official business on April 7.

I hope you all have a joyful celebration of Easter and Passover with your family and friends!  I am excited to have our girls come home and look forward to catching up with friends who will be visiting. 

Executive Summary

• AT LEAST $350 MILLION LEAVING MSP AIRPORT IN SUITCASES
• EASING THE BURDEN ON PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE
• PARENT NOTIFICATION OF ADVERSE INCIDENTS IN SCHOOLS
• STOPPING THE BLUE LINE EXTENSION
• LOCAL BONDING BILLS HEARD
• PHOTOS

AT LEAST $350 MILLION LEAVING MSP AIRPORT IN SUITCASES

This week, the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee learned more about why millions of dollars in cash is leaving through the Minneapolis St. Paul Airport.

In January, TSA flagged that our airport has 99% more cash flying out of the country than any other airport in the United States. In 2025 alone, an estimated $350 million went through the airport in suitcases and landed overseas. Believe it or not, the actual amount passing through the airport is never tallied. A retired TSA employee testified that when a suitcase filled with cash is flagged during the screening process, the courier is escorted into a private room to ensure nothing else – like guns or drugs – are in the suitcase. They eyeball the money and don’t count it and send the courier on their way.

This problem has been out there for at least 10 years. Back then, a whistleblower found that a childcare facility would receive a payment from DHS at 3:00 A.M., and within minutes of that money getting deposited in banks it would be allocated to overseas accounts. When fraud convictions started happening, the banks quit working with these organizations. That’s when they moved to the cash system, transporting millions out of the country in suitcases.

This is one instance where the state is not first in line to blame. The Minneapolis Airport police have limited jurisdiction as they are enforcing law and order at the airport. When cash leaves the airport and goes overseas, it’s within the purview of the Border Patrol because the airport is actually a port and is also subject to regulation by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. If a person fills out a specific form within 72 hours of departure, then they can legally take as much money as they want out of the country. Which is why millions of dollars are leaving every day.

It’s important to stop this money laundering on the front end. By the time the courier gets it’s wrapped stacks of cash from banks, it can’t be stopped. The treasury department also needs to tighten this up as it is their jurisdiction.

What’s needed is better control over these funds, verification of how much money is in the suitcases, and stopping the fraud before the money is laundered and taxpayer funds disappear overseas. This should be the responsibility of the Department of Human Services, the attorney general’s office, and the Minnesota Financial Crimes Task Force.

You can watch my video update from the hearing below. 

EASING THE BURDEN ON PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE

This week, the Minnesota House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee heard my bill that would exempt employers with 15 or fewer employees from the Paid Family Medical Leave Program (PFML). It would give them the choice to opt into the program, however.

A recent study by the MN Dept. of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) found 67% of the PFML applications have been made by employees at a business that has 200 employees or more (or 43,000 applications). This means small businesses are subsidizing PFML, because they aren’t using the program at the same rate that they pay in. In essence, our smallest businesses and their employees are being forced to pay for leave taking place at the state’s largest businesses.

My bill, HF 2113, sets the exemption at 15 employees, which is half of the definition of “small business” in the PFML law. The original bill set the exemption at businesses with 50 employees or less but we had to amend it in committee to businesses with 15 employees or less to try to get it through the tied committee. This is a common-sense approach to give small businesses the flexibility they need to find ways to accommodate employees’ needs while also ensuring their business can function. We heard from several testifiers who talked about the hardship and significant cost to small businesses owners of trying to comply with these new regulations. In addition to the new payroll tax, they struggle to find replacement workers and often have to hire professional HR firms to help manage the compliance process, which also increases the costs.

PARENT NOTIFICATION OF ADVERSE INCIDENTS IN SCHOOLS

My bill, HF 751, to require schools to notify parents when their student is in involved in an “adverse incident,” was also debated in the House Education Policy Committee this week. 

The bill idea came from parents in my district whose child was sexually assaulted in school twice, and school officials knew what had happened but chose not to alert the parents. For months, the parents wondered why their child was acting moody and depressed and eventually learned what had happened once their child told them.

Since writing this bill, I’ve learned of a similar incident in my district at a different school, where parents again were not notified. Imagine how many parents across the state are dealing with similar issues, wondering why their child is anxious or depressed, when a simple phone call from school could shed that light and allow parents to begin helping their child cope with the trauma they are facing.

Again, in an effort to get the bill passed, we had to amend it to change it from a mandate of notifying parents within 24 hours to a “presumption” schools would provide “timely notification” to parents when their students are involved in incidents of violence, harassment, or other prohibited conduct. While I was disappointed I had to weaken the language, I have been working on this bill for at least 4 years and this is the first time I have even been giving a hearing. If we are going to help protect kids, I want to keep this bill moving.

Timely communication can prevent small issues from becoming serious problems, and parents should never be the last to know when their child is harmed, or accused, at school.

STOPPING THE BLUE LINE EXTENSION

On Wednesday, I took part in a press conference that drew attention to the need to stop the Blue Line light-rail extension that is proposed to run from Target Field to Brooklyn Park through North Minneapolis, Robbinsdale and Crystal along County Road 81. This 13-mile line is expected to cost between $3.2 billion and $3.5 billion.

I have been working with a coalition of small business owners and residents along this corridor for two years. The small businesses do not want the area shut down for the expected 7 years of construction as they will not be able to survive that long with all of the disruption to traffic. In addition, 200 homes will need to be demolished to accommodate this project, which will drive people out of their neighborhoods and affordable housing. They literally can’t find affordable housing that allows them to stay in the area if these homes are torn down.

Hennepin County does not need this. Our taxes have already risen dramatically, and commissioners have already proposed another 1% increase in the sales tax to save the Hennepin County Medical Center. In a time when property taxes are already increasing by double-digits and the county can’t afford basic healthcare and public safety services, now is NOT the time prioritize light rail. As we saw with Southwest Light Rail, the project will likely take much longer and cost more than projected. 

Our coalition is advocating for much more affordable and flexible arterial bus rapid transit in this corridor, which would meet the transit needs of the community at just 10% of the cost. It would also not require displacing people from their homes or shutting down traffic for many years.

It’s time we used some common sense. The displacement impacts as well as the financial impacts are major red flags that his light rail project should not move forward. Ensuring the survival of HCMC is a need. The Blue Line extension is neither necessary or wanted – we need to reprioritize spending on light rail on more pressing needs – bus transit and saving HCMC.   

LOCAL BONDING BILLS HEARD

This week, the House Capital Investment Committee heard two bonding proposals I’m sponsoring this session. The first would allocate $10 million to Corcoran to design and build a west-Metro regional public safety facility to serve smaller law enforcement agencies in western suburbs and ex-urbs.

The second bill would provide $390,000 to construct railroad crossing safety improvements at Town Line Road for Median, Independence, and Loretto.

PHOTOS

It was fun to see so many friends from Maple Grove Lions at Lions Day on the Hill this week!  The Lions do incredible work across our state, bringing people together to address needs and volunteer for community events. Thanks for all you do to strengthen our communities!

Happy to see constituents who came to advocate for their priorities at the Capitol this week. This included motorcyclists from ABATE

The IBEW Veterans Committee – Local 292

and members of SEIU. Thanks to all for stopping by!

I also enjoyed catching up with many friends and meeting farmers from across the state at the Ag Day Gala with the Minnesota Foundation for Agriculture on Tuesday! Ag Day celebrates the amazing contributions of family farms across our state, our country and the world.

Please Contact Me

Many of you have already been in touch to discuss your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Please continue to contact me to discuss any matters to which I can be of assistance.

The best way to reach me is by email: rep.kristin.robbins@house.mn.gov. For occasional updates, you can follow my Facebook Page at @RepKristinRobbins. You can also leave a voicemail on my office number, 651-296-7806, which is checked every weekday while we are in session.

Of course, if you are coming to the Capitol, I’d love to meet you! Please reach out if you would like to set-up an in-person meeting. 

Have a great weekend!

/RepKristinRobbins

239 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.7806