Legislative Update -
Dear Neighbors,
I hope you’ve had a wonderful first half of your summer! After a brief post-session recovery period I’ve been out and about in our community enjoying everything Minnesota has to offer. But there is still so much more to look forward to, including the State Fair which is just around the corner. The mad scientist new food concoctions look as wild as ever!
It was great hosting a post session town hall with Senator Johnson-Stewart and then an election security meeting with Rep. Falconer and Secretary of State Steve Simon. Contrary to accusations from the federal government, our state election system is incredibly secure and effective!
Wild Fires
If you’ve looked out your window you have seen the terrible amount of smoke blanketing our city. Governor Walz has declared a peacetime emergency and deployed the national guard – which could last through September – to help combat the fires up north. All available resources are being deployed to help manage the situation. You can keep up to date on the air quality in our area here. The increasing intensity of fires like these is a direct result of climate change and if we want a smoke free future, we will need to take strong action to reverse climate change.
New Laws
On July 1st, many new laws from the 2026 legislative session took effect. Some highlights include helping schools establish anonymous threat reporting systems so students and families can safely report concerning behavior, implementing a mandatory social media mental health warning, and more. You can find a list of the new laws and summaries here. There will also be a new set of laws coming into effect on August 1st, so be sure to visit House Information services to learn about those!
Session Wins and Looking Ahead
While these laws will certainly do a lot of good, I can’t help but think about what we could have passed with a House majority: gun violence prevention, housing protections and affordability measures, protections against federal overreach, resources for our schools and so much more. In my conversations with you all it’s clear that your Representatives must do more to make this economy work for hard working Minnesotans. I will continue to fight to unrig the economy to push back against mega corporations so you can afford to live and thrive!
Last Update for the Year
Lastly, I also wanted to let you know that this will be my final newsletter until November. Mid-July marks our 60-day deadline since the end of the legislative session, when Minnesota law requires unsolicited official communications to stop until after the 2026 election. This is so that an unfair advantage is not given to incumbents. As a result, this will likely be the last newsletter you receive from my office until later this year.
This is the only notable change - I want to emphasize that my office is available to constituents year-round to assist you with your needs. As always, you can reach me at 651-296-9934 or rep.patty.acomb@house.mn.gov. I look forward to hearing from you.
Staying in touch
Please reach out if you have any questions or feedback you would like to share. You can contact me by email at rep.patty.acomb@house.mn.gov or call my office during business hours at (651) 296-9934.
Sincerely,
Patty Acomb
State Representative