 Neighbors, We are in the last two and a half weeks of the 2026 session. Committees are largely done meeting at this point in the legislative process, with the bulk of our work now shifting to passing legislation off the House Floor. As with everything we’re passing this year, for any bill to become law it needs bipartisan support in the tied House.  It has generally been a pretty frustrating session as we haven’t been able to make progress on issues that most Minnesotans think are high priority, like reducing gun violence, protecting us from ICE, and addressing affordability. Governor Walz reiterated the importance of passing this kind of legislation in Tuesday’s State of the State Address. I will continue to push for legislation that our community desperately needs. There’s still time, but Republicans have often seemed to prefer to do nothing, and even tried to end the session several weeks ago. There are some good things we are passing, such as broadly bipartisan legislation that toughens penalties for impersonating a police officer, bans nudification technology, and strengthens the ability of agencies to stop payments to program participants when fraud is suspected. I even had a small but important bill pass (see below). There are three big areas that are emerging where there appears to be some consensus that legislative action is necessary before the end of session; saving Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), a bonding bill, and addressing fraud. I included a lot of information on our fraud related efforts in my last newsletter, so I’ll dig more into HCMC and bonding in this one. Town HallsThank you to everyone who attended my town hall last weekend! I always enjoy meeting with you all, and your stories directly impact my work in Saint Paul. I want to make sure my town halls are as accessible as possible, please fill out the following survey to give your input on these town halls. Thank you!  HCMC UpdateHCMC is in a precarious situation, needing a significant ($300M+) and annual infusion of funds to stay open. Over 70% of the people they serve are on Medicaid, Medicare, or don’t have any insurance. While I haven’t done a review of hospitals around the state, I believe this is probably the highest of any hospital in MN. Uncompensated care contributes to this crisis, as emergency rooms are required to treat patients regardless of whether they have insurance or can pay. And ER costs are so much higher than if someone had access to preventative care. HCMC’s uncompensated care has ballooned from $40M in 2020 to $104M in 2024. HCMC is a level 1 trauma center and backstops hospitals all around the state. 40% of all transferred trauma and burn patients and almost 30% of ALL patients come from outside Hennepin County. They are a symptom of our broken healthcare system in this country. Even before the disastrous cuts to Medicaid in the federal HR1 reconciliation bill that passed last summer, the payments received by hospitals for Medicaid/Medicare were not enough to cover costs. It is beyond time that we move to a single payer universal healthcare system in this country. And if we can’t do it nationwide, then we should do it in Minnesota (we can!). There does seem to be bipartisan acknowledgement that HCMC can not be allowed to fail. Hennepin County has introduced a proposal to increase its ballpark sales tax, ranging from .015% to 1%, to generate funds to keep HCMC’s doors open. There are many other options that are being considered. BondingOur May 18th adjournment date is fast approaching. One thing that will take up a good amount of our work in these final weeks is our Capital Investment Bill - a crucial piece of legislation for funding jobs and infrastructure projects in our community and throughout the state. Even if the House wasn’t tied, work on the Capital Investment Bill is almost always a bipartisan exercise, as it requires a super majority to be passed into law (in the House this is 90 votes). I’ve been working with leaders on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate to deliver the investments Minnesotans are counting on this year. I’m fighting hard for St. Louis Park to be represented in this bill. While it may seem like we’re running out of time, the Capital Investment Bill is traditionally one of the last, if not THE final bill passed during the legislative session. Whether it’s St. Louis Park or Northern Minnesota, passing this bill would be good for our state. Protecting our Roads and Drivers - Updating the BillFollowing the tragedy at Park Tavern in 2024, it has been a top priority of mine to strengthen our state’s DWI policies. I authored legislation that passed the House in 2025 that significantly increased the time repeat offenders must use ignition interlock (a “car breathalyzer”), extended the lookback period for prior offenses, and removed barriers that prevent people from getting on interlock in the first place. Last week, we just passed some technical updates to the bill that included making sure offenses committed out of state are accounted for properly. The updates came to me from the Department of Public Safety Driver Vehicle Services, and also included updates to a different area of law, strengthening privacy protections for optional driver’s license and ID indicators related to medical alerts, autism, and certain mental health conditions. Building Homes in a Climate-Friendly WayIf you’ve ever done a home renovation or built a new home, you know you have to make choices about costs. Minnesota families are facing a housing shortage, an affordability crisis, and rising energy costs. At the same time, parents want to make sure we address climate change so their kids have a decent world to live in. In 2024 I passed a bill to improve Minnesota’s residential energy code every three years through 2038. So every three years, new homes step up a bit in energy efficiency - meaning that by 2038, they’ll use 70% less energy. Well, House Republicans tried to repeal that bill this session (unsuccessfully I must add!) The main part of their argument was cost. So, let me tell you about a family in Cohasset, where Habitat for Humanity partnered with a sustainable developer and built them a home in a different way. The home has thicker walls with more insulation, wider studs that are placed wider apart, and all-electric appliances. The result is a home that costs a bit less to build than the typical approach AND meets the 2038 goals for 70% reduction in energy usage! The home is also healthier, with better indoor air quality. Their daughter has even been able to stop using her inhaler. This is what smart climate policy looks like, and it’s achievable. Everyone should be building like this!  Expanding Energy Assistance for Minnesota FamiliesAs Minnesotans know all too well, energy costs are straining budgets. It’s becoming a year-round challenge. Too often, I hear from Minnesotans who are doing everything right. They’re working hard, budgeting, but still falling behind due to rising costs. Energy assistance can be a lifeline, but only about 25% of eligible households receive assistance, while Minnesotans are more than $100 million behind on utility bills and shutoffs are rising. That’s why I’m supporting legislation to expand and strengthen our state’s Energy Assistance Program which has helped families pay heating bills for over 45 years and serves about 130,000 households each year. As extreme heat becomes more common due to climate change, the lack of cooling support puts seniors, kids, and medically vulnerable residents at risk. Other states are already addressing this: 31 offer summer energy assistance. Staying safe in your home shouldn’t depend on the season. We held a press conference on this topic Wednesday morning.  Constituent MeetingsI continue to have constituent meetings, though the amount drops off as we get closer to the end of session. As I’ve mentioned,in between meetings and legislative work, I make ice cream on the weekends and bring it in to share with constituents. My most recent flavors have included Peanut Butter Chip, Mint Oreo, and Chocolate Orange sorbet.  |