Dear Friends,
The curtain has dropped on the 2026 legislative session. As usual, it was a hectic final weekend with some good and some bad being seen on the House floor. More on that in my column, which you’ll find below.
But on a personal note, Monday marked the final time – barring an unexpected special session – that I will speak on the Minnesota House floor as your state representative.
It has been such a privilege to serve you over the past 12 years.
HOLDING THE SPEAKER’S GAVEL
Retiring House members always have the opportunity to spend some time at the Speaker’s rostrum during a floor session to temporarily preside over the body.
I took my turn during the final week of session, even having a little fun in the process!
SAYING GOODBYE
Running for state office was something I had never considered doing. I was perfectly happy teaching first graders in Albert Lea. But when I was approached to consider it, I spent a lot of time thinking and praying about it. Eventually I said yes after determining I wanted the 750 kids that I taught over the years to have the same opportunities I had growing up, and that I wanted to fight for their future.
12 years later, it’s time to say goodbye. I delivered my final speech on Monday, sharing my personal feelings and memories of serving in the Minnesota House, and thanking those who helped along the way. But most of all, I want to thank you for giving me this honor – and it is truly an honor to act as your voice at the State Capitol.
To watch my final floor speech, click here.
MY MONTHLY COLUMN - 2026 END OF SESSION COMMENTS
The 2026 legislative session has ended. For me, it was a mixed bag of successes and disappointments. I will be frank with you in my assessments and won’t give you spin or partial truths.
First, what I see as the biggest win for all of Minnesota: fraud protection. The bipartisan creation of an independent Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is the highlight of our fraud prevention accomplishments. The office will investigate state agencies, grant recipients, and contractors suspected of fraud or criminal misuse of public funds.
Newly approved welfare reforms will require able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid benefits to work, participate in job training, or pursue education to maintain eligibility. Several exemptions are provided, including for those adults with dependents at home. This is good for all.
It was especially heartwarming for me to see my Anti-Grooming bill pass unanimously in both the House and Senate and go to the governor’s desk for his signature. This bill will help keep our children safe by criminalizing the predatory practice of grooming. It also updates maltreatment of minors reporting systems to identify and stop grooming in our schools and other settings with minors and students.
I would like to celebrate the $400 million in tax relief that passed – but I cannot. People desperately need lower property taxes, income taxes, business taxes, and more - but they need real relief and reform. That’s not what happened.
You’ll hear some proclaim they “delivered” needed property tax cuts and car tab fee reductions. Unfortunately, that’s not the whole truth, and sadly politicians are very good at telling you partial truths.
What you won’t hear is that these tax relief measures are very targeted, one-year cuts and not real reform. You also won’t hear the actions the legislature just took will lead to increased taxes in a few years, basically canceling out any new tax relief now. So yes, there’s some good news here, but I’m certainly not going to brag about it. People deserve the whole truth – not just part of it.
I could go on, but I just don’t have the space. I want to write briefly about process – because our government is failing the people.
This end-of-session was not much different than any other. So much legislation was rammed through at the very end in big omnibus bills – bills decided upon behind closed doors and presented to legislators at the last minute. The last day of the 2026 session saw over 1,000 pages of spending and regulations rammed through in just a few hours, with zero opportunity to read before voting.
One example was the Health & Children and Families bill. This was a 300+ page, multi-subject omnibus bill and buried in it were provisions for things like Medicaid reform, hospitals, childcare, and more. This mammoth bill came to legislators in the final hours of session, and we had zero time to read it.
I know there were good and bad components in this bill, making it tough for voting. But I will not in good conscience vote for bills that I cannot read. That’s not good legislating. I voted no for any bill I wasn’t given the time to read.
It’s such bad policy and process to force legislators to do this, and not fair to those we serve. We can do better, Minnesota - we MUST do better.
I want to close by thanking you for the honor to serve you as your state representative for twelve amazing years. I’ve always believed in term limits. This position was never meant to become a career. So, I’m term-limiting myself to twelve years. This is bittersweet for me, but I need to stand on my principles and do the right thing.
If I’m remembered for something, I hope it will be these two things: that I truly care - because I do – and as a Bridger of Gaps. We have many gaps in this state - between the left and the right; metro and rural; suburban, outstate, and inner city; and more. We must close these gaps. We don’t need to compromise our principles to do that. What we need to do is to listen, understand, and respect. We must fill those gaps and find solutions that actually work to fix problems.
Blessings to all of you. It has truly been an honor to serve you!
Peggy