Legislative Update - Fall Newsletter & Coffee with Constituents

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’re enjoying the return of fall colors and cooler temperatures. We’re truly in the heart of the legislative interim, but before you know it the 2026 Legislative Session will be upon us when we return to the State Capital in February.

Before that time though, I want to hear from you. We’ll have a couple of opportunities to touch base with each other and ensure my work is rooted in the needs of our community. Productive legislative sessions are built on the groundwork we set in the preceding months. 

Next week, I’ll be holding a “Coffee with Constituents” event on Wednesday, October 29, from 7:30-9am.

This’ll be a great opportunity to share any concerns or ideas you might have for our community, in addition to grabbing a nice cup of coffee and getting an in-person update from me. If you’re interested, you can RSVP here to receive the location information and give me an idea of when to expect you. 

I hope to see you then!

Regardless of whether you can make it to next week’s event, I still want to hear from you! If you have a moment, please consider taking this brief legislative survey to share your concerns. 

Into the Woods - Buckthorn Bust & Minnesota Foraging

Outside of connecting with constituents and preparing for next year’s legislative session, I want to share some other activities I’ve been up to this fall - much of it spent outside!

A couple weeks ago, I was excited to join the Friends of Eden Prairie Parks for a buckthorn bust in Birch Island Woods Conservation Area.

Buckthorn is an invasive tree species that grows thick, dense, and is shade tolerant, allowing it to grow almost anywhere. There’s also little to no animals that feed off it, resulting in no natural check on its growth and spread.

Buckthorn’s relatively high nitrogen levels in its leaves and berries changes the soil composition over time, allowing for other invasive plants like garlic mustard to become established, as well as creating favorable conditions for invasive earthworms that also degrade the soil health essential for native plant growth.

Removing buckthorn can be a time intensive and laborious endeavor, and groups like Friends of EP Parks are critical to help restore our conservation areas to their native state.

You can also help out around your property! Both Eden Prairie and Minnetonka have programs and information established to help with your own buckthorn removal.

I'm also working on Minnesota’s Sustainable Foraging Task Force - which is taking a look at foraging activities across Minnesota. In our own community, we have the ability to forage for a variety of things on our public lands such as morels, berries, maple syrup tapping (on state lands only), water cress, and more. 

Whether it’s wild rice and blueberries in the north woods, morels in the metro, or hard wood forests in the southeast, we have a vast wealth of forageable items in Minnesota that we need to ensure are collected in a sustainable way.

Minnesota Youth Council

I’m excited to share that I’ve been appointed as the legislative liaison for the Minnesota Youth Council. As a coach of Middle and High Schoolers, I see firsthand how much promise, hope, and commitment is in our younger generations, and I’m so excited to take one a new sort of “coaching” opportunity as I help foster young leaders and connect them to the Minnesota Legislature. 

Created in 2013, the Minnesota Youth Council is the official voice of young people statewide. Thirty-six representatives from Minnesota middle schools and high schools advise the Governor and state legislature on issues that affect their generation, creating a Minnesota that works better for everyone.

I can’t wait to see what these kids can do. 

Helping Paws

The Helping Paws organization has been in the back of my mind all summer - it’s where Melissa Hortman had trained her dog, Gilbert. Since we tragically lost them in June, the organization has received a lot of well-deserved attention, and I was able to check out their relatively new Eden Prairie location.

Helping Paws is a nationally recognized nonprofit that breeds, trains, and places assistance dogs. They place service dogs with individuals who have physical disabilities, service dogs with veterans and first responders living with service-related PTSD, and facility dogs with professionals in courthouse, educational, and mental health settings. In 2024, they moved their location to our community. 

I challenge anyone to have a bad time while surrounded by golden retrievers, labradors, and the Minnesotans dedicated to training them to be the best they can be. It was truly an honor to spend the day with them and get a taste of something Melissa had dedicated herself to. 

Stay Connected

Thank you for reading my latest legislative update. I hope you can take advantage of some of the opportunities shared above to touch base and talk about the issues important to you. 

Whether it’s grabbing a cup of coffee or filling out a survey, you can also always feel free to contact my office at rep.alex.falconer@house.mn.gov or 651-296-3964. You can also “like” and follow my official Facebook page. 

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Alex Falconer

State Representative

House District 49A