Dear Neighbors, It looks like we’re going to have a white Christmas this year! Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or another tradition, I hope it’s a peaceful and joyful time spent with loved ones. With the Winter Solstice behind us, we can all look forward to more daylight moving forward and into 2026.  Turcks Trees of Litchfield delivered the Capitol Holiday Tree early this month which will be on display throughout the holiday season in the Rotunda. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture assisted, and added this lovely ornament to memorialize Melissa, Mark, and Gilbert. It’s bittersweet to share that I'm retiring from my education position with St. Paul Public Schools in early January. Teaching has been such a gift; it’s made me a reflective learner and a better public servant. My students taught me that behind every situation is a story, and behind every story is a person deserving of dignity and support. These are values I bring with me to the Capitol when I’m advocating on our communities’ behalf. We celebrated with cupcakes and music recently. I’m going to miss the students’ jokes, their hugs, high-fives, bright eyes, and eagerness to learn and be at school.  Here’s an update from the Capitol and our community: Paid Family and Medical Leave Launches January 1As I reflect on my years of teaching, I think about how many sick kids I saw in my classroom knowing they should be at home, but mom or dad had to work and couldn’t afford to miss a day. The U.S. is the only developed country without guaranteed paid leave, forcing workers to choose between paychecks and caring for family or health needs. This changes for Minnesotans with Paid Leave starting January 1, 2026. Passed in 2023, Paid Leave provides partial wage replacement for up to 12 weeks of medical leave for serious health conditions, including pregnancy, and 12 weeks of family leave for new children, sick loved ones, or military/safety events. Workers can use up to 20 weeks total annually. You can watch this video explaining how it works:  The 2026 premium rate is 0.88%, with employers covering at least half. If split equally, workers and employers each pay 0.44%—about $5 weekly for average earners. Since November 2023, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has been working to prepare Minnesotans for Paid Leave, resulting in more than 33,000 individual connections, 320 outreach events across the state, from Q&As in partnership with Chambers of Commerce to engagement at community events, including the Minnesota State Fair, Pride, and Farmfest. The program will be refined based on business feedback. DEED offers helpful toolkits. The toolkit for workers covers eligibility, usage, compensation, and more. The toolkit for businesses includes engagement events, premium information, and FAQs. Addressing FraudI believe in a government that works for people, and public dollars should serve public needs like child care, health care, senior care, and more. That’s why fraud in any form — targeting consumers, veterans, small businesses, and government programs — is unacceptable. Last week, Tim O’Malley joined as Minnesota’s Director of Program Integrity, and I’m encouraged by Governor Walz’s appointment. Working together, we will continue to protect taxpayer dollars, vital services, and ensure accountability across state government. Read more here. Through a variety of tools such as executive action, bipartisan legislation, and agency-level reforms, Minnesota has also: - Ordered audit and pause of payments for 14 high-risk Medicaid programs tied to the federal investigation and shut down HSS entirely
- Created a centralized fraud investigations unit within the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
- Established a statewide Inspector General Coordinating Council to improve cross-agency collaboration
- Invested in an Office of Inspector General in the Minnesota Department of Education
- Funded additional auditors, internal control specialists, and grant oversight professionals
- Expanded whistleblower protections and anti-kickback penalties
- Required enhanced licensing, documentation, training, and unannounced site visits for high-risk providers
- Implemented new tools for data analytics, prepayment review, and fraud reporting
Addressing ICEThere’s a lot of chaos and confusion about what’s happening in Minnesota and the Twin Cities right now with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Operation Metro Surge” has resulted in hundreds of arrests since the beginning of the month. ICE is escalating activity in our communities, and masked agents without identification or lawful warrants are sowing fear and division. Additionally, since President Trump announced his intent to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS), many of our neighbors are feeling afraid. TPS was passed in 1990 with strong bipartisan support in Congress and signed by Republican President George H.W. Bush, protecting people from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions for over three decades. In my role as a state legislator, I support and am here to serve all of my neighbors, and am in touch with our federal congressional delegation identifying ways to keep all residents safe. As ICE ramps up their efforts in Minnesota by targeting our immigrant neighbors, many have reached out looking for ways to support neighbors in our community. There are a variety of resources available at the Minnesota Immigrant Law Center here. Connected to CommunityThis year's Knock Out Hunger Border Battle drew more than ?????? volunteers representing Team West Saint Paul and South Saint Paul. WSP clenched a victory for the second year in a row, but we're ALL helping more than 55,000 meals reach families in need- and that's a win WSP and SSP communities can both be proud of. Read more in the West St. Paul Reader here: bit.ly/4pzOnPA  Thank you to the Mendota Heights Police Department for hosting my colleagues serving on the House Capital Investment Committee last month. The tour offered an opportunity to see both the progress made on the facility and the significant work that remains to continue to keep us all safe.  A Night of Gratitude was a night to remember with our local Beyond the Yellow Ribbon serving the 2nd 147th Aviation Battalion at the Family Holiday Dinner. Great to be with community, celebrating and thanking those who have served.   Keep in TouchDespite the challenges we’re facing, I’m looking ahead, forward, and am filled with gratitude to be a part of our incredible community. Thank you for the honor to represent you and our West Saint Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, Lilydale, and Sunfish Lake neighbors in the Minnesota House. Happy holidays, Mary Frances Clardy
State Representative |