Legislative Update from Rep. Kari Rehrauer

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Legislative Update from Rep. Kari Rehrauer

Neighbors,  

This week, DFLers rolled out our goals and priorities for the 2026 legislative session. The price tag that comes with a normal, modest life has become far too high. Too many Minnesotans are struggling just to get by. When basics become a luxury, it’s a clear sign that the system is broken.  

It shouldn’t be this difficult to get ahead. DFLers are focused on combatting the affordability crisis and bringing down costs so Minnesotans can: 

• Afford Health Care  
• Afford Child Care  
• Afford Housing  
• Afford Groceries  
• Afford Energy  

We have the ability to legislate real change.  

We have also been taking on — and will continue to take on — the bad actors who cheat Minnesotans out of public resources and steal from Minnesota taxpayers. Last week, we rolled out a package to fight back against fraud. Every public dollar should be used for the public good — not to enrich scammers and criminals who exploit Minnesotans. I am furious that taxpayer dollars meant to support families, seniors, people with disabilities, and children have been stolen through fraud. 

Throughout all of this, I can’t help but notice how universal, state-administered programs work. Take Minnesota’s Universal School Meals program, for example. Instead of making families jump through paperwork hoops for their kiddos to be deemed eligible to eat a free or reduced-price hot meal at school, every kid gets lunch, period. There’s no middleman, no complex paperwork, no having to petition the legislature for funding — no uncertainty. The investment we make in Universal School Meals actually results in filling hungry bellies because lunch ladies don’t commit fraud.  

It seems to me that the answer to combating fraud is to keep public money in public programs. Instead, the Trump Administration has responded by withholding federal funds that help our most vulnerable — largely children and seniors. Because of this, programs that have been operating as they’re supposed to will lose funding, and people who rely on services will go without. The answer to people being hurt by fraud is not to hurt more people.  

Fraudsters hurt Minnesotans, and now Trump is pouring salt in the wound.  

To meet this moment and show up for Minnesotans, we must be able to work together to get real work done. If everyone at the Legislature is serious about combating fraud, we should be able to put partisanship aside and get this work done this year. Minnesotans are tired of the blame game — solving this problem requires action, not just words. I hope that Republicans are as serious about this as we are, and that they’re ready to work with us to solve the problem.  

This week in the Veterans Committee, I presented a bill to help get resources to Veterans that are currently stalled due to statutory ambiguity. It’s one of those bills that seems overly technical and complex, but it's a necessary one to make things easier on our Veterans and the organizations that serve them. You can read more about the bill and watch some of my testimony here.  

I also presented a bill to implement Anonymous Threat Reporting Systems (ATRS) statewide. The past year has made the need for this painfully clear. Over the past few weeks, the desks of Harper and Fletcher, who were killed at Annunciation, have been sitting in the Capitol as a reminder of who we have a responsibility to protect.  

No legislation can undo the pain and trauma that the students and families of Annunciation have faced. We cannot change the past, but we can absolutely rewrite our future. ATRS gives Minnesota students a place to safely and anonymously report threats. Implementing Anonymous Threat Reporting Systems is a strong tool to prevent the next school tragedy. This bill can make a substantial impact in curbing gun violence, bullying, suicide, and other violence by intercepting before someone gets hurt. 

Stay Connected

Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account.??To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out email at rep.kari.rehrauer@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-1729. You can contact my Legislative Assistant, Chloe, at 651-296-5486 or via email at chloe.keller@house.mn.gov.     

You can also stay up to date by following my official Facebook or Instagram accounts.  

It is an honor and a privilege to represent you at the Capitol.??      

All my best,??      

Rep. Kari Rehrauer