Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.  Dear Neighbors, School's out for the summer! I’m wishing all Minnesota students, teachers, and parents a wonderful break and lots of fun in the sun.  When I'm not at the legislature, I'm still deeply committed to education! This week, I returned to St. Paul Public Schools as I wrap up my 29th year, and it’s been wonderful to be back. We are actively engaging in trainings designed to enhance our schools through reflective practices—ensuring that our educators, students, and communities continue to thrive. The work never stops, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!  Explore West Saint Paul Days!What better time to celebrate summer than to head over to Explore West Saint Paul Days, which began yesterday! Check out the list of events happening through June 8th here. I hope to see you there!  Update from the CapitolThe 2025 regular legislative session concluded on May 19, and I want to share where things stand and what comes next. With the Minnesota House evenly divided at 67-67, we knew this session would require meaningful collaboration to deliver the investments our communities deserve. And while we made progress on several key priorities, some important work remains unfinished. A special session on Monday, June 9 has been called by the governor to continue our work in balancing the budget. In the final days of session, we passed a number of budget bills, including significant pieces of legislation that strengthen DWI enforcement, invest in our parks and clean water infrastructure, secures Unemployment Insurance for Iron Range miners, and our hourly school workers. Achieving a compromise education budget that preserves unemployment benefits for our paraprofessionals, bus drivers, nutrition staff, and clerical employees is a win for Minnesota. These essential hourly school workers—who feed, transport, and care for our kids throughout the academic year—are among our lowest-paid. Until 2023, they were the only hourly workers employed more than four months annually who couldn't access unemployment benefits. Their stability directly impacts our students' success, as evidenced by Minnesota's graduation rates now reaching historic highs!  We also passed a strong pensions bill that enacts early retirement benefits for our teachers and increases cost-of-living adjustments for police officers and firefighters. The completed compromise House and Senate veterans budget bill also passed with broad bipartisan support. I’ve been working in the Education Workgroup since the end of May to wrap up negotiations and I’m glad we’ve reached an agreement. Special sessions aren’t unusual in Minnesota, especially when government control is divided; a little overtime sometimes is needed to get the good work polished and solidified. In the 1936 “extra” session as they used to be called, legislation was updated to ensure towns of 2,000 inhabitants or more can create fire departments with two or more regularly employed firemen.”  Source: Minnesota House Reference Library You can find the comprehensive list of all the extra sessions Minnesota has had since statehood in 1857, here. Please feel free to follow me on my Facebook page for more updates. Thank you for the honor of representing you at the State Capitol. Have a great weekend! Forward, Mary Frances Clardy
State Representative Representative Mary Frances Clardy5th Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155 |