Legislative Update - A Tied Minnesota House

Dear Neighbors, 

We’ve turned a new page in our legislative work as the Minnesota House is now officially tied. Following a special election in Roseville earlier this month, DFL Rep. David Gottfried joined our ranks and triggered the power-sharing agreement my colleagues and I fought so hard to secure.

Had this agreement not been in place, there would’ve been nothing stopping Republicans from controlling the House for the next two years, instead of just a few weeks. This means that now our committees have an even number of DFL and GOP members, and control over these committees alternates between DFL and GOP co-chairs. It has always been the case this year that bipartisan support is needed to pass a bill off the House Floor, but now that same standard must be met in committees too.

My hope is that we can now shift our focus to legislation that can actually become law - bipartisan solutions that benefit all Minnesotans.
 

Addressing Aquatic Invasive Species

Speaking of bipartisan work, my bipartisan bill to address Aquatic Invasive Species was heard in the Environment Committee this week – this was my first hearing as a legislator!! And I’m happy it was to support the lakes, rivers, marshes and streams in our own backyards here in Minnetonka and Eden Prairie.

The bill would dedicate $1.5 million to be given out as grants to our 10 regional park jurisdictions in the 7 county metro area. This isn’t enough and we’ll keep asking for more, but it is a good start. Invasive plant species like Eurasian Milfoil, Curly Leaf Pondweed and Starry Stonewort choke out our waterways and decrease recreation activities. Invasive animal species like zebra mussels, rusty crawfish, faucet snails, and water fleas outcompete our native species and transmit parasites, diseases and painful bites to waterfowl and humans.

Invasive species are also bad for the economy. Less recreation activity means less money for our local businesses and lower property values for our residents. An ounce of prevention now is worth more than a pound of lake treatment later. The bill is now in consideration for the overall budget and I’ll work to get it in there.

If you’re interested, you can check out that committee hearing here.
 

Responding to Federal Chaos and Cuts

Many of our neighbors have reached out to express their concerns over what they see taking place on the national level. They ask about what can be done to protect Minnesota from the troubling policies we see coming from the federal government.

The truth is there’s not always an obvious or easy lever for us to pull at the state level to combat the chaos and cuts coming from the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans, but we’re also not without options.

This week, I joined my DFL colleagues to co-author the “Protect Medicaid, Not Millionaires” Act, which simply states that if Republicans are are going to cut Medicaid funding to provide a tax cut for millionaires, in Minnesota, we’re going to have those same millionaires pay their fair share until Medicaid is funded to the level our neighbors deserve.

There’s also the recent news about President Trump dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. In response, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) launched a public feedback portal at education.mn.gov for parents, students, teachers, and community members to submit detailed accounts of the ways recent Executive Orders and abrupt federal education cuts are impacting schools and children across our state.

More than 860,000 students in Minnesota depend on stable partnerships that have existed between their school communities, MDE, and the U.S. Department of Education across administrations. For decades, the federal investments facilitated through those partnerships have played a key role in ensuring students in Minnesota receive the support they need to learn and thrive, including:

• $256 million for students with disabilities
• $192 million for students from low-income backgrounds
• $27 million for academic enrichment
• $6 million for students in rural schools
• $38 million to support children living on military bases or Native American reservations
• $100 million for Career and Technical Education workforce development programs

If any of these cuts impact you and your family, please let us know!
 

The Trump Admin’s Plan to Mine the Boundary Waters

Sometimes our best course of action is raising the alarm and calling attention to the actions the Trump administration is hoping to just quietly pass by, like last week, when they effectively opened up our nation’s natural wonders to mining operations.

President Trump signed an executive order to immediately increase mineral production in the United States. In it, and for the first time, copper is listed as a “critical mineral,” despite its relative abundance. The order sets the stage for the Trump administration to strip away the protections afforded to areas like Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, for the sake of mining minerals.

That’s exactly why I’m authoring legislation to protect this crown jewel of Minnesota’s environment. President Trump’s executive order is the very entry point billion-dollar international mining companies have been waiting for. Every Minnesotan should be outraged at the blatant disregard for our environment.

The President and his billionaire buddies have opened every piece of federal public lands to the mining industry. From the Grand Canyon to the Boundary Waters, every iconic and cherished landscape is now officially at risk. I am asking my colleagues in the Minnesota House, Senate, and for Governor Walz to stand with the 70% of Minnesotans who support my bill.

Stay Connected

Thank you to everyone that came out for our Town Hall earlier this month. We had fantastic turnout and great conversations on our work in the Minnesota Legislature. This was my first as a State Representative, and it set a high bar! 

Regardless of whether you were able to join us, you don’t have to wait for a Town Hall to touch base. Always feel free to contact my office with any questions, comments, or ideas you may have. You can also keep up with my work on my official Facebook page.

You can reach me at rep.alex.falconer@house.mn.gov or 651-296-3964. You’ll either hear back from me or my Legislative Assistant, Jared. 

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Alex Falconer

State Representative

House District 49A