Neighbors, The 2026 legislative session is officially done. The last two years in a tied House have been challenging. We began the biennium in 2025 by stopping Republicans’ efforts to stage a coup and illegally take power away from Minnesotans who elected a tied House. Unsurprisingly, we ended the biennium with Republicans standing in the way of any meaningful action on the things that are most important to Minnesotans, like preventing gun violence, helping average Minnesotans get ahead in the affordability crisis we’re in, and addressing ICE's occupation of our state. Instead of putting Minnesotans first, Republicans chose the gun lobby, large corporations, and Donald Trump. Despite the gridlock on these major issues, we were able to pass some good bills in other areas. We rescued the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), which is the state’s top level-one trauma center. We created the office of the Inspector General, which will be transformational in preventing and fighting fraud. We delivered $40 million in rental assistance for community members impacted by the federal occupation of ICE. We passed funding for food shelves and regional food banks and added capacity for SNAP. We passed an Infrastructure and Jobs bill that invests $1.2 billion dollars in vital local projects. I’m proud to say that funding for the Mendota Heights Police Station was included in the bill!  I’m also proud to say that during this biennium many bills I authored made it across the finish line! Addressing fraud by investing in modern IT systems for human services has been a priority, and we delivered. This work was in collaboration with counties and will help identify fraud before it happens, improve client services, and reduce employee burnout. I believe everyone should have access to good schools and high quality affordable healthcare and supporting our community is a top priority. This biennium included including giving ISD 197 some flexibility with their budget allocations, compensatory aid for our school districts, and increased access to epinephrine in schools. I was able to secure additional funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers, expand who can serve as a medical consultant for community health boards, and reduce barriers for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who enter into practice. I love doing this work and advocating for a better Minnesota. It truly helps to have Dakota county commissioners, Eagan city council members, Mendota Heights school board members, local medical providers, community members, and studentstestifying and helping craft better policy. Not everything got across the finish line, but I will continue to advocate for improving air quality especially for those impacted by lead emissions, mental health crisis funding for our county, and so much more.  |