 Dear Neighbors, Last week, President Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan announced Operation Metro Surge would be winding down, and most federal agents will leave Minnesota, with many remaining during the transition period. While this seems like a welcome development, the lack of transparency and the blatant lies that have characterized this operation, means that I am in a “distrust and verify” mode. The damage caused over the past few months to our education system, our economy, and our emotional wellbeing will be far-reaching and long-lasting. I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and exercise their constitutional rights. I remain inspired by our community's efforts to keep our neighbors safe. Regardless of how you feel about immigration policy, I hope most can agree that what transpired in Operation Metro Surge was, at best, unnecessarily harmful, too indiscriminate, and often inhumane. Thank you to everyone who attended our District 46 Town Hall last Thursday. Our discussion was lively and timely, with people sharing experiences from across the community. While ICE activities and how to move forward dominated the discussion, we also spoke about issues ranging from gun violence prevention to data centers to election safety. Legislative SessionThe legislative session begins tomorrow. We will start with a tribute to Melissa and Mark Hortman and their dog Gilbert. It will be the first time we’ve been back together in the chamber since their assassination. It will be an emotional day. Melissa’s seat will be kept unoccupied during this session.  We have a lot of work to do, in what could be a difficult environment to do it. With our evenly divided House in an election year, when three Republican members are running for Governor and several others on both sides of the aisle are running for higher office, many suggest little should be expected. However, the economic impacts of ICE on our state and Minneapolis have reached far and wide and require a robust recovery response. I’m encouraged by Governor Walz’s recent announcement of a bipartisan proposal for a $10 million one-time emergency relief fund for Minnesota businesses affected by the occupation. It is a good start, but certainly not enough. Minnesotans have been through significant challenges: natural disasters, and a global pandemic, but the onslaught of federal violence against our people and the destruction of the small business infrastructure we’ve experienced since November is unprecedented. You can read more about the proposal by clicking this link. In addition to caucus work on ICE-related legislation and gun violence prevention, I plan on bringing bills on road safety, renewable energy, electrical grid efficiency, housing reform, and EV annual fees (lowering them). Love Shows Up RallyMinnesota has shown the country how to stand up against federal overreach. We continued this on Saturday in St. Louis Park. In a time when the federal government seems intent to sow division and hatred, Minnesotans gathered in St. Louis Park for the Love Shows Up rally to support our immigrant community. Minnesota and our country are better because of immigrants. Thank you to everyone who attended. MnDOT Announces Construction on I-394The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced that they’ll resume significant road work on Interstate 394 from late February through late fall 2026 for important safety improvements and to extend the life of the 34 bridges on that route. Motorists traveling westbound on I-394 between downtown Minneapolis and Highway 100 in Golden Valley should expect delays and plan for reduced lanes and ramp closures starting Feb. 22. Stay informed on the I-394 project by: League of Women Voters - Legislative InterviewsThe League of Women Voters annual legislative interviews always make for some excellent discussion about issues in Minnesota. With my fellow Senate District colleagues, Rep. Youakim and Sen. Latz, we hit on many topics. Of course, the thing that was top of mind was the ICE activity and its impact on our kids’ education, families, and economy. We touched on many other issues, including affordable housing, climate change and environmental issues, fraud, elections, and the Equal Rights Amendment.  Energy AlleyIt was a joy to join local leaders and industry partners at the ribbon-cutting for a groundbreaking new heat pump installed by Flow Environmental Systems at Steamfitters Pipefitters Local 455 in St. Paul. This technology is truly impressive! Their super-efficient, all-electric heat pump system can heat and cool buildings using less electricity than cooling alone typically requires today, and simultaneously significantly reduces carbon emissions. Innovations like this show that we don’t have to choose between economic growth and climate action. We can do both. Flow is part of Energy Alley, a public-private partnership between the State of Minnesota, Clean Energy Economy MN, and Grid Catalyst. Energy Alley is designed to position Minnesota as the “Silicon Valley” of clean energy innovation to attract investment, support startups, and accelerate cutting-edge solutions that create good-paying jobs. I was proud to author the 2023 House bill that helped launch Energy Alley. Seeing companies like Flow turn bold ideas into real-world solutions is exactly what we envisioned: Minnesota leading the way in climate innovation, economic opportunity, and a cleaner, more resilient energy future.  |