Legislative Update – March 20, 2026
Dear Neighbors,
As we finish up another busy week at the Capitol, I know I’m looking forward to this weekend’s weather forecast! I hope you’re able to find time to get outside and enjoy some of the great parks and trails our district has to offer.
Today, I joined The KYMN Morning Show for my weekly radio update, which you can listen to here. And if you missed last week’s interview, you can find it here.
Thank you to all the folks who I’ve had the privilege to meet with these past couple of weeks who share their perspectives and priorities including (but not limited to): students from a St. Olaf Poli-Sci course, Hope Center staff, a University of Minnesota librarian and union member from Lonsdale, The BookEnders Northfield book club, Youth in Government students and Northfield Y CEO Tyler Powell along with Supreme Court Justice Gordon Moore and Attorney General Keith Ellison, ERA Day in the Rotunda, Homelessness prevention advocates from across the District, and two teachers from Northfield High School who are also EdMN leaders! What inspiring folks!
Parkinson’s Research Trust Fund
Last week, I was honored to stand with Parkinson’s patients and advocates as we announced a pair of bills to prevent Parkinson’s disease and invest in state-level PD research.
Partnering with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, we held a press conference to rally support for our bipartisan legislation, which you can watch here. Thank you to all the patients and advocates who shared your stories and called for change.
My bill would establish a dedicated Parkinson’s Research Trust Fund, partnering with our universities and medical community to support innovative Parkinson’s research and provide caregiver assistance. Another bill would ban the sale and use of paraquat, a seldom-used but dangerous chemical that is linked to increased Parkinson’s rates.
I spoke about the bill with Jill Burcum for her most recent column on the need to invest in state-level Parkinson's research and ban the chemicals that cause this terrible disease. As the federal government continues to cut public health funding across the country, it’s up to states like Minnesota to continue the work to prevent and cure diseases like Parkinson’s.
Let's pass these bills and give some much-needed hope that future families won't have to go through the pain of Parkinson's.
Fighting and Preventing Fraud
In my latest column, I dug into another issue we’re taking on in St. Paul: accountability and fraud in our state’s public programs.
I believe in a government that can help people thrive, and that's exactly why it's heartbreaking and infuriating that taxpayer dollars meant to support families, seniors, people with disabilities and children have been stolen through fraud.
Minnesotans deserve a government they can trust. That's why my colleagues and I have introduced a broad agenda to increase accountability, transparency, and program integrity. You can read the full column here.
Stay Connected!
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