Dear neighbors,
I hope you and your family are having an enjoyable summer and staying safe and cool in the heat wave that’s arrived in Minnesota!
The 2026 legislative session concluded last month, and DFLers successfully delivered some key priorities for our state and community. Perhaps most urgently, we provided a necessary lifeline to Hennepin County Medical Center, ensuring folks in our community – and from across the region – can continue to count on a vital level one trauma center. We delivered $40 million in emergency rental assistance to help people keep their housing during times of crisis (like Operation Metro Surge). We boosted Property Tax Refunds for working- and middle-class families. To combat fraud, we increased investments in the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, created a nation-leading Office of Inspector General, and much more to protect critical public programs so they can help people live better lives, not enrich fraudsters. We also passed a $1.24 billion jobs and infrastructure package with key investments in projects across the state.
I’m pleased that even with a closely divided Legislature, we can still deliver results. Unfortunately, House Republicans refused to consider solutions to several other priorities important to Minnesotans.
To address the urgent crisis of gun violence, not even one Republican would vote to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. They largely refused to acknowledge the harm ICE inflicted on our state, blocking bills with economic assistance for businesses, banning ICE agents from school and hospital grounds, and my proposal creating a pathway in state courts for Minnesotans whose constitutional rights are violated. The GOP also caved into pressure from Big Pharma and blocked legislation helping Minnesota hospitals stay open.
There’s a lot for us to talk about, together. You’re invited to join Rep. Katie Jones, Sen. Scott Dibble, and me for a legislative town hall on Tuesday, July 7 at 7:30 PM. We’ll take time to recap the recently concluded session, review what we got across the finish line, and look forward to the work still ahead.
Mostly, we're interested in answering your questions and hearing your viewpoints.
RSVP here, and you'll receive the location shortly before the event. It’s free to attend and everyone in our community is invited. I hope you can join us!
Please continue to be in touch if I can ever be of help. It’s an honor to represent you at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Rep. Jamie Long
DFL Floor Leader, Minnesota House of Representatives