Legislative Update - End of 2026 Session

Legislative Update - End of 2026 Session

Dear Neighbors, 

The 2026 Legislative Session came to an end this week, and I'm proud of the work we accomplished in a tied House to help our hospitals, deliver property tax cuts, protect taxpayer dollars, and invest in local jobs and infrastructure projects. 

In a tied House, with 67 DFLers and 67 Republicans, there was always bound to be compromise and disappointment. As your legislator, I worked to find compromise wherever possible without jeopardizing our core values. 

Despite the challenge of an even partisan split in the House, my DFL colleagues and I worked every day to make life better for Minnesotans. We worked to make life more affordable by addressing high costs for health care, housing, child care, energy, and groceries. 

We successfully passed solutions to combat and prevent fraud, protecting Minnesotans' state dollars and keeping them out of criminals' hands. We also provided funding to stabilize Hennepin County Medical Center, the state’s largest safety net hospital, which serves patients from across the state. 

In a tied House, we came together to pass a balanced 2025-26 state budget with bipartisan support and took action on many good proposals that found support across the aisle. I'm proud to share that we passed several bills I authored this session, including:

• Banning AI 'nudification' features 
• 2026 Cannabis policy bill 
• Protecting social worker titles 
• Fair reimbursement for clinical trainees 
• Raising the age for kratom to 21 

After an incredibly difficult year—the killing of Melissa and Mark Hortman, the shooting at Annunciation, and the federal occupation—this session, we worked to do everything in our power to protect our neighbors, despite Republican opposition. 

While we were able to get some good work done, we left so much on the table. If we had one more vote, we could have made real progress on the priorities I hear about most from our neighbors:  

• A comprehensive gun violence prevention package that includes an assault weapons ban, safe storage proposals, mental health, and school safety funding. 
• An ICE response package that would keep ICE out of our schools and hospitals, help our small businesses harmed by the Surge, and protect Minnesotans’ constitutional rights. 
• Bills to level the economic playing field, like stopping unfair practices such as surveillance pricing that hurts consumers and taking on Big Pharma and passing a 340b bill that will help hospitals across the state.

In the Minnesota Senate, DFLers took action on many of these priorities, but House Republicans refused to join us. Whether it was standing up to Trump, the gun lobby, Big Pharma, or the billionaires who are doing better than ever, Republicans failed to meet the moment. 

But the fight isn’t over. In Minnesota, you should be able to afford your life. While House Republicans stand in the way of meaningful progress, I will continue standing up for Minnesotans. I’m committed now more than ever to building a future where hard work is rewarded, families have a real chance to get ahead, and communities can thrive.  

It’s an honor to represent you at the Capitol.

Stay in Touch

Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account. If you have questions, ideas, or feedback that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at rep.jessica.hanson@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-4212.

For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these email legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Jess Hanson
State Representative