Dear Neighbors,
As we enter the 2026 session, my focus as co-chair of the Public Safety Committee is on making Minnesota safer. Many of the major events that occurred this interim resulted in tragic loss from gun violence. The bills we will be hearing immediately in this committee include those that ban weapons of war, that hold federal agents accountable for their crimes against Minnesotans, and that strengthen our laws prohibiting impersonating licensed peace officers. We will also build on our work to hold fraudsters accountable and prevent future fraudulent acts that misuse tax dollars and deprive Minnesotans of the valuable services they need.
As always, I’m excited to be working again with constituents on a couple of bills. These include a bill providing more protections to residents of assisted living facilities and a bill to ensure that all disabled veterans have access to veterans homes.
While I’m excited to get to work this year, we did start off on a solemn note. This is the first session in 20 years where Melissa Hortman will be absent. She leaves behind a legacy of fierce advocacy for the average Minnesotan and I hope we will honor that legacy this session.
Gun Violence Prevention
Weapons of war have no place on our streets or our homes, and the majority of Minnesotans agree. House DFLers are ready to build on the gun violence prevention work we started in recent years by passing a ban on high-capacity magazines and military-style assault weapons. These weapons of war have taken far too many lives of Minnesotans, including innocent children praying at Annunciation church. When we hear these bills in the upcoming weeks, we will ask our GOP colleagues to join us in supporting them to improve public safety in Minnesota. On Valentine’s Day, I had the opportunity to attend Protect Minnesota’s “No More Broken Hearts” event to hear about the devastating impact of gun violence and to express my solidarity with a ban on weapons of war that the majority of Minnesotans support.
Connecting with Community
This interim and into session, I’ve been meeting with community members, stakeholders, and constituents. I was honored to be a panelist with my colleague, Rep. Hollins, at the Justice For All Coalition’s event to share their legislative proposals. The event started with research presented from the Minnesota Justice Research Center’s poll that showed most Minnesotans, across political lines, want major changes or a complete overhaul to the criminal legal system. You can learn more about that research here.
Countering the Harmful Actions of the Trump Administration
Our state has been devastated by Operation Metro Surge. I never thought I’d see the day where our federal government is blatantly breaking the law, killing our neighbors, and lying about it. We must employ every tool we can to stand up to these unconstitutional actions.
Last week we hit the ground running with bills to protect Minnesotans, hold federal agents acting unlawfully accountable, and deliver assistance to those whose lives have been upended during the occupation. Here are some of the bills we have introduced. My bill to require the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct an independent investigation into deaths caused by federal agents was brought up on the floor last week. Unfortunately, no Republicans supported suspending the rules to hear it. This bill will be heard next in committee.
Other bills heard in committee failed on party lines. Republicans voted against a bill to provide emergency rental assistance to Minnesotans who need to stay in their homes during the occupation. They also blocked a bill to require ICE agents to present a warrant when entering our schools. If you have friends or family with Republican representatives, please encourage them to reach out in support of bills that protect Minnesotans from the dangerous overreach of the federal government.
Stay In Touch
Please feel free to contact me directly with your viewpoints or if I can be of assistance. My email is rep.kelly.moller@house.mn.gov and my phone number is 651-296-0141.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
Sincerely,
Kelly Moller
State Representative