Legislative Update – December 4, 2025Dear Neighbors, Though the next legislative session won’t begin until February, my job as your state representative continues year-round. As a member of the House Capital Investment Committee, I spent much of this fall on our 2025 regional bonding tours, where bipartisan representatives visit local infrastructure and jobs projects seeking state funding. We travelled across the state from Austin to Ely and everywhere in between, but the highlight for me was welcoming the committee to Plymouth in November. It was great to show them our city, including the veterans’ memorial we commissioned when I was on City Council.  We heard Plymouth’s request to revitalize the Plymouth City Center. State funding would help us expand our regional ice center, realign our roadway, modernize our stormwater infrastructure, and increase public parking to accommodate our growing population. As a member of the Capital Investment Committee, I’ll advocate for this project during next year’s legislative session and continue to bring the voices and needs of our district to the Capitol.  Here, I’m sitting in my former seat from when I served on the Plymouth City Council. As I told our committee, investing in Plymouth’s infrastructure is investing in the State and its economic vitality. Paid Leave Launches January 1The U.S. is the only developed country in the world that doesn’t guarantee some form of paid leave, forcing most workers to make impossible choices between a paycheck and caring for a new child, an aging parent, or their own serious health condition. But in Minnesota, that’s about to change with the launch of Paid Leave on January 1, 2026. As we prepare for Paid Leave to take effect, I want to share the basics of the new law, how it impacts you, and how to use it next month. Paid Leave – which DFLers in the Legislature and Governor Walz passed in 2023 – provides partial wage replacement for up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave for your own serious health condition, including pregnancy and recovery. It also provides up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a new child or a seriously ill loved one. You can watch a short video explaining how the program works here.  The program will have a small cost but offer powerful benefits. The premium rate for 2026 will be 0.88%, with employers responsible for at least half. If the employer chooses to split the premium with the employee, each will pay 0.44%. For an employee earning the average annual income, this amounts to about $5 per week each for the worker and the employer. Paid Leave will level the playing field for small businesses that have wanted to offer this benefit but haven’t been able to do so sustainably. DEED has developed helpful toolkits with resources for workers and businesses alike. The toolkit for workers can help you find out if you’re eligible for coverage, when Paid Leave can be used, how much time you can take, how you’ll be compensated, and more. The toolkit for businesses includes information about upcoming public engagement events, premium rates and contributions, equivalent plans for Paid Leave, and other FAQs. This isn’t a new concept – twelve other states and the District of Columbia currently offer Paid Family and Medical Leave. Despite Republicans trying to weaken, delay, and repeal this hard-fought progress before families could even benefit from it, DFLers succeeded in protecting this hard-fought win for middle-class Minnesotans. For many of us, missing a single paycheck means the difference between staying above water and facing dire financial challenges, and that’s particularly true considering the affordability crisis we’re facing now, with prices rising for just about everything in our daily lives. Paid Leave is one major step to provide some relief, ensuring you’ll no longer have to risk your economic security to look after yourself, care for a newborn, or tend to a loved one. This program has truly been years in the making, and I’m so excited for families in our community and throughout Minnesota to finally have peace of mind. As we get closer to the program’s rollout, I encourage you to check out all the resources available at pl.mn.gov.  Cold Weather Rule & Energy AssistanceAs we head into colder weather, I want to remind you of the resources available to ensure that all Minnesotans stay warm and are protected from utility service shut offs. Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule is in effect from October 1 to April 30, protecting residential utility customers from having their electric or natural gas service shut off. To protect your service from disconnection, you must create and maintain a reasonable payment plan that you and your utility agree to. You can set up a payment plan any time during the rule season. Call your natural gas, electric, municipal utility, or electric cooperative for more information, or contact the Commission’s Consumer Affairs Office at consumer.puc@state.mn.us or call 651-296-0406, 1-800-657-3782.  |