Legislative Update – December 13, 2023
The last couple of months have been quite eventful as I continue meeting constituents, advocating for our district, and looking forward to next year’s legislative session. I wanted to take a moment before the busy holiday season to update you on some of my work.
I recently welcomed Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan to Northfield to highlight our state’s investment in affordable housing and visited the Somali Community Resettlement Services in Faribault to hear about critical housing concerns. I was also thrilled to meet with the Youth in Government club in Northfield to talk about civics, government, and encourage youth to make their voices heard in our politics!
I spent time with the Rural Organizing Project of ISAIAH and the 100 Percent Campaign to talk about climate change in our region, and just last week participated in an ISAIAH and Minnesota Farmers Union listening session with Minnesota House Majority Leader Jamie Long and some of our senate colleagues. Thank you to everyone who participated.
President Biden’s Visit to Northfield!
It was an absolute honor to have President Joe Biden, Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Governor Tim Walz come to Northfield last month to kick off the administration's Investing in Rural America tour.
The Biden-Harris administration has invested billions to bolster rural economies like ours. I thank President Biden for his visit to Northfield and for his speech on the importance of supporting rural America.
I recapped the visit, the administration’s rural investments, and the work we’ve done at the state level to support rural economies–like my bill investing $100 million in rural broadband infrastructure–in my column for the Northfield News: Biden's goals complement our work at the state legislature by Rep. Kristi Pursell.
I also was lucky to attend the White House for their annual turkey pardoning event last month. I was invited as vice-chair of the Agriculture Committee because the turkeys, Liberty and Bell, were from Minnesota! You can hear more in my conversation with 95.1 The One here.
Session Priorities Constituent Survey
As we prepare for the upcoming 2024 legislative session, House DFLers want to hear about the issues most important to you.
That’s why I wanted to share with you our Minnesota Values Project Survey, an easy way to share your values, hopes, challenges, and ideas with us on solutions at the legislature. It only takes a few minutes to fill out, and can be found here or using the QR code below.
MPCA Citizen Oversight Board
One piece of legislation I will continue to work on next session is my bill re-establishing the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s citizens board. The citizen’s board had been in place since 1967, but was removed in 2015.
Recent incidents like the tritium leak at Xcel’s Monticello plant and elevated nitrate levels in water sources in Southern Minnesota illustrate why we need to reinstate the Citizen’s board. Thank you to KAAL/ABC 6 News for covering this important issue, which you can see here.
Pheasant Hunting in Southern MN
This fall I participated in my first-ever pheasant hunt when I was invited to Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan’s all-women hunting event in Austin, Minnesota alongside fellow state legislators!
It was a great opportunity to learn more about the sport and its impact on Minnesota’s outdoor economy with a group of supportive colleagues. I’m looking forward to doing it again and working to increase hunting accessibility for all Minnesotans. You can read more about our hunt in the Star Tribune or on KAAL TV.
Stay Connected!
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