Legislative Update - The Halfway Point

Dear Neighbors, 

The Minnesota Legislature is back from a week-long break in recognition of the Easter and Passover holidays, which also served as a convenient halfway point for legislators to head back to their communities, recharge, and prepare for the final half of the session, which ends on May 18. 

It has been extremely busy in the Minnesota House, as the majority of legislation with any chance of becoming law must meet multiple committee deadlines, the third and final one being next Friday. This lends to committee hearings being packed with bills, and the hallways of the Capitol being packed with advocates. It’s an energizing and hectic time.

For my part, I had two bills related to protecting Minnesota’s wild rice - and by extension, our environment. Wild rice is our state grain, culturally important and sacred for our Native communities and a vital economic benefit to the tribes, bringing upwards of $60 million in economic activity yearly.

This culturally significant and sacred grain is highly sensitive to pollutants and changes in water levels. My first bill would put guard rails in place to ensure toxic chemicals are kept away from wild rice waters so the rice can grow and thrive.

You can watch my closing comments on this bill’s hearing here.

I’m incredibly grateful to have been joined by a stellar group of advocates in advancing these bills. We’ll continue fighting for this legislation this session. 

Safer Schools and Communities

Before we left for our legislative break, my DFL colleagues and I were able to force a vote on the House Floor over three crucial bills - all of them focused on making our schools and communities safer.

All three of these bills were blocked by House Republicans in their respective committees, but Minnesotans deserved to know where ALL of their legislators stand on these issues. And, with the tied House, all it would take is ONE House Republican to join us in advancing this legislation.

The first pertains to keeping ICE out of our schools, or at the very least, requiring federal agents to produce a judicial warrant to enter. You might read that and think that’s a pretty low bar, and it is. It was also the norm for years until the second Trump administration changed that rule. 

This bill was first heard in the Education Policy Committee, where I serve and where the House Republican members blocked the bill - some of the same Republicans that sent a letter to then-Secretary Noem asking her to limit ICE’s activity around Minnesota’s schools. Because they would rather send letters instead of doing their job and pass laws to protect students.

I know personally how devastating this ICE occupation has been for our students and their families. In December I witnessed a mother - who is a U.S. Citizen - get abducted at a bus stop just blocks away from the school building. What was worse, and what will be seared into my brain forever, were the screams of fear and agony from her daughter who had to witness her mother be forcibly detained, thrown to the ground, handcuffed and thrown into an unmarked car that sped away.

I will never forget, nor forgive, what these unlawful ghouls have done to our state and community, and am committed to helping everyone affected by this unconstitutional terror campaign. Please reach out to me if you need any assistance or help. I am here for you.

We gave all of the House Republicans the opportunity to vote for this bill. They all voted no. They either never experienced what I described above, don’t believe the similar stories that have been widely reported, or simply don’t care. I voted for this bill in committee, and I was proud to vote for it again on the House Floor.

The same thing happened with our next two proposals, both of them focused on preventing gun violence. We brought forward our bills to ban high-capacity magazines and assault weapons - instruments of war that have no place in our communities.

I spoke during our debate to ban assault weapons, which you can watch here.

The vast majority of Minnesotans are in favor of these bills. In fact, the only place where they are controversial appears to be in the House Republican Caucus, who once again, all voted no.

It’s worth noting that we weren’t even taking a vote to pass these bills into law - this was simply a vote to advance them through the legislative process and continue this conversation. Our kids deserve that at the very least.

We can and must do better, and I will continue to fight for these proposals this session. 

Stay Connected

As we head into this second half of the legislative session, always feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns, or ideas you have to make Minnesota better. Now is a crucial time to touch base on the issues that matter most to you and your loved ones.

Additionally, my colleagues and I in the House DFL have put together a constituent survey. If you have a brief moment, I’d really appreciate you taking it to let us know about the issues and values most important to you. 

You can take our 2026 Constituent Survey here.

My work is at its best when it’s rooted in your needs, so please don’t hesitate to email me at rep.alex.falconer@house.mn.gov or give me a call at 651-296-3964. I look forward to hearing from you!

You can also follow along on my official Facebook page! 

Thank you for the incredible opportunity to represent you in the Minnesota House.

Sincerely,

Alex Falconer

State Representative

House District 49A