Friends and neighbors, The 2026 legislative session is here. Many of us feel like we’ve lived several lives since last June — especially since this is the first time the Minnesota House has convened without Melissa Hortman in over 20 years. Her absence is heavy. We miss her every day.  Session also began in the shadow of a federal occupation in the name of retribution. Minnesotans have watched in horror as ICE terrorizes our communities — kidnapping law-abiding Minnesotans, tearing apart families, pepper spraying children, and killing two Minnesotans in the street. DFLers have been working on bills to respond to the occupation, and we were able to hit the ground running with them on day one. Just this week, we heard a bill in the Children and Families Committee to ban ICE from entering daycares without a warrant. It’s infuriating that I even have to say it, but no one — absolutely no one — should have to worry when they drop off their child at day care that they won’t be there at pickup. Next week, my bill to do the same for college/university campuses will be heard in the Higher Education Committee. It’s not just parents who are terrified. This occupation has had profound effects on our kids. No five-year-old should be worried about their mom or dad making it home safe. We know that the COVID-19 pandemic had dire effects on children’s development, especially around learning. Thinking about the effects this terror crusade will have on our littlest breaks my heart. As we navigate another year of a tied House, we need Republicans to join us in our mission to protect our kids. So far, Republicans have blocked our efforts at nearly every turn. It’s disheartening to see their refusal to do something about these blatant civil rights violations, but we won’t stop fighting. If every lawmaker put politics aside and did what’s best for Minnesotans, these bills would pass. A big part of the discussion about child safety has been around gun violence. For the past few weeks, desks from Annunciation — including Fletcher and Harper’s — have been at the Capitol. It’s a constant reminder of what we’ve lost and who we have a responsibility to protect.  We heard a bill in committee that would allow local municipalities to set their own restrictions on guns based on what their communities want. You can watch my comments on the bill here. As expected, it didn’t get one Republican vote. |