Legislative Update – April 2, 2026Dear Neighbors, We’ve hit the halfway point of the 2026 Legislative Session. Last Friday was the deadline for major bills to be heard in committee to be considered this year. It's a busy time of year. For example, on Wednesday alone, I presented 9 bills in different committees! My bill banning AI ‘nudification’ continues to move through committee with bipartisan support. I’m incredibly hopeful we will pass it into law this year and protect Minnesotans from this awful technology. In the Children and Families Committee, Suzanne Arntson from Scott County Health and Human Services joined me to talk about parent support outreach programs. The data is clear: outreach is key to preventing potential child abuse. It's working in Scott County, but there's so much more we can do. You can watch our comments here.  I’m proud to report that last week, a bill I authored was the very first to pass both chambers, reach the Governor’s desk, and be signed into law. The law supports Minnesota's small businesses and helps our emerging cannabis industry thrive. I’m also the author of several additional bills to support our growing legal cannabis industry, which I presented last week. These bills will be included in a cannabis policy bill we are working to pass this year. Voting to Protect MinnesotansLast Thursday, DFLers forced votes on legislation to keep ICE out of schools, ban assault weapons, and ban high-capacity magazines on the House Floor. These measures were about protecting our children, and are supported by the majority of Minnesotans, but they’ve been voted down in committee by House Republicans.  The motions we put forward would have only needed one Republican vote to succeed. It was an opportunity to put the entire House on the record and show we could put humanity over politics. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Republicans continued to vote lockstep against the bills. We’re at the halfway point of session, and we’ll continue to use every tool we have to protect Minnesotans. Our kids deserve to go to school without the fear of federal agents terrorizing their classmates, and without the fear of yet another deadly school shooting. I’ll continue pushing for these bills for as long as it takes for them to become law. Child Tax Credit ReminderIf you’re still working on your 2025 taxes and have children, please don’t forget about the Child Tax Credit! It is NOT automatic. So far this year, more than 154,000 tax returns have claimed the Child Tax Credit, benefiting over 318,000 children across Minnesota. Families are receiving an average credit of $2,669.  The credit is estimated to reduce child poverty by up to a third in Minnesota, making it one of the most impactful investments DFLers protected amid federal cuts. Learn more about eligibility here. |