Hello Neighbors,
Last week was the first week of the 2026 legislative session, and it’s the first time that almost every member of the Minnesota House has started a session without Melissa Hortman. It’s going to be a hard session without her, but she would tell us to put our heads down and do the hard work for Minnesotans.
PC: Glen Stubbe, Minnesota Reformer
The First Day of Session
As the 2026 Legislative Session began, the House, Senate, Tribal leaders, and our constitutional officers gathered to honor the life of Melissa Hortman, her devoted husband Mark, and their beloved dog, Gilbert. Melissa was a leader, colleague, and friend whose loss weighs heavily on so many at the Capitol.
There were tears, stories, and gratitude for a life of service that shaped our Minnesota in lasting ways. Melissa and Mark loved to bake, so we gathered afterward for homemade desserts. In honor of Gilbert, service dogs visited the Capitol and brightened an otherwise tough day.
It was not the first day of the session that anyone imagined. But it was a powerful reminder of why we serve: for people, for community, and for one another. You can?read more?from MPR News?about Tuesday’s remembrance,?and you can?watch my remarks here.
Session Priorities
Minnesotans are facing real issues that can and should be solved at the state Legislature. It’s harder than ever to get by on an average job’s pay, criminals are stealing public dollars, our kids and educators are expecting gun violence, and the federal government is carrying out retribution on our state and our people. As we move forward this session, my genuine hope is that every lawmaker can agree these are the most urgent issues facing our state — and that we can put people over politics to make change for Minnesotans.
- Afford Your Life: With record prices, a disappearing middle class, and a system that’s built for the rich and well-connected rather than the rest of us, we’re setting forward a vision of the future where all of us can live and thrive. We’re fighting to decrease your everyday costs - groceries, health care, housing, child care, college, and more. We’re working to hold huge corporations accountable for price-gouging Minnesotans while they bring in record profits and refuse to raise wages. We want to make health insurance about health, rather than profit. We’ll continue fighting for your bottom line.
- Responding to ICE: What’s happened to Minnesota is unacceptable. The direct harm, fear, and disregard for humanity we’ve faced at the hands of the federal government cannot be ignored. We’re fighting for common-sense proposals to protect Minnesotans’ constitutional rights, hold federal agents accountable, and make sure nothing like this ever happens in the future.
- Gun Safety and Violence Prevention: Everyday people should be safe doing everyday things. Our state has been rocked by avoidable gun violence this year. It is unacceptable that mass shooting after mass shooting happens and common-sense, widely-supported policies like an assault weapons ban are stopped by the gun lobby. Minnesotans are demanding meaningful action on gun violence prevention legislation, and this year, we’ll work to pass bans on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and binary triggers, as well as establishing safe storage laws and required reporting of lost or stolen firearms. These are not controversial policies outside of the Capitol, so they shouldn’t be controversial inside the Capitol. We all deserve safe communities, where we can go about our days without fear.
- Fighting and Preventing Fraud: Every public dollar should be used for the public good — not to enrich scammers, shell companies, or criminals who exploit Minnesotans. We’re furious that taxpayer dollars meant to support families, seniors, people with disabilities, and children have been stolen through fraud. That’s why we’re serious about preventing and prosecuting fraud. We will stop fraud before it starts, hold those responsible fully accountable, and protect the programs that serve the most vulnerable Minnesotans. We’re releasing our fraud prevention priorities this week — which I’ll cover in more depth in the next newsletter — but they include policies to increase penalties, update our systems, strengthen oversight, and stop outsourcing.
Keep in Touch
And please remember, you can email me at rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn.gov and you can also contact me at 651-296-5513 with any questions, comments, or ideas you have on how to make our community and state better. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you for the incredible opportunity to represent you in the Minnesota House.
Zack