Legislative Update – May 8, 2026
Dear Neighbors,
Things move fast this time of year at the Legislature, which is why I always appreciate the chance to recap the week on KYMN Radio—listen to last Friday’s show here and this morning’s update here!
Last week, I was honored to join Dr. Jasmine Kamboj at Northfield Hospital’s Cancer Care and Infusion Center, alongside House Health Committee co-chair Robert Bierman, to see firsthand the world-class facility in our community and to hear about the healthcare needs in rural communities.
This week a bipartisan group of legislators recognized Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Day at the Capitol on Tuesday (Learn more here) and many of my colleagues and I showed our support for the MMIR office and for those missing or murdered in Minnesota by wearing red; the House also welcomed a delegation from Taiwan this week, and I met a class of New Prague High School students in the Governor’s office!
I also want to thank my intern for this legislative session, Carter from the University of Minnesota, who’s also a resident of District 58A! I’m grateful for his assistance to our office this year, as he learned more about the legislative process and how our work affects Minnesotans. If you know someone interested in a future internship, they can learn more here.
Session Update
We’re in the home stretch of the 2026 Legislative Session, which means long floor sessions as we negotiate, debate, and pass bills that can find the bipartisan support we need in a tied House.
First, I’ll start with some of the bright spots:
We passed a bill banning crypto kiosks, which are used to scam our residents, especially the elderly, and a bill banning AI ‘nudification’ features, which make victims out of everyday Minnesotans with the push of a button.
Progress continued last week with the passage of a bill adding clear regulations for HOAs, banning predictive market wagering, and our Housing Committee’s tenant-landlord relations bill, which passed unanimously.
We also passed legislation that toughens penalties for impersonating a police officer, and strengthens the ability of agencies to stop payments to program participants when fraud is suspected.
But unfortunately, due to Republican opposition, many priorities for our district are stalling.
Affordability is a top issue this year, and we know that while the well-off and well-connected are doing better than ever, Minnesota families are struggling. We proposed legislation to stop CEOs from raising energy rates to pay for their own raises, put up proposals to lower property taxes, and are tackling corporate price gouging and surveillance pricing. But so far, Republicans have blocked these proposals in committee and on the floor.
House Republicans continue to block legislation helping our small local businesses, which took an economic hit during Operation Metro Surge, and Republicans have failed to join us in legislation to hold ICE accountable, even voting against a bill keeping ICE out of our schools. The Senate DFL will bring these bills into final negotiations.
In the aftermath of the Annunciation Church and School shooting, DFLers in the Senate passed a comprehensive gun violence prevention and school safety package. So far, House Republicans have completely refused to engage on this issue because they won’t talk about guns.
I’ll keep standing with the Annunciation families, and the vast majority of Minnesotans who believe that we can take action to keep our kids safe.
Saving Our Minnesota Hospitals
One of the biggest struggles we’re hearing about from Minnesotans is the rising cost and accessibility of health care. Through sweeping Medicaid cuts from the Trump administration, 140,000 Minnesotans are set to lose coverage, including some of our most vulnerable. Emergency rooms can’t turn away people without coverage, so those with coverage will see their costs continue to rise, too.
These cuts have put our hospitals in a precarious position. Forbes issued a report listing the 400 hospitals around the country on the brink of closure, including seven in Minnesota, most notably Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC). It’s critical for lawmakers to develop a bipartisan solution that ensures HCMC can continue serving not just communities like ours, but as a level one trauma center, people from across the region. Without a solution, it isn’t hyperbole to say that people will die as a result.
While billionaires continue to do better every day, DFLers continue our focus on reducing the cost of living for everyday expenses like health care, child care, elder care, housing, and energy bills so all Minnesotans can thrive.
Stay Connected!
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