While many of us were hoping we could address gun violence in a special legislative session this fall, Republican obstruction took that option off the table. That doesn’t lessen the urgency around this issue. When we return for the 2026 Legislative Session in February, addressing gun violence will be top of mind for me and my DFL colleagues. Whether or not you were able to join us last weekend, always feel free to contact me to share your story, raise concerns, and propose ideas as we prepare for a “policy year” at the legislature. What’s a policy year? The first year of the legislative biennium (this year) has one constitutional requirement, and that’s to pass a balanced state budget. Much of our work done this year was primarily focused on financial matters, though some policy work still gets done. Next year, with a two-year state budget already passed, means we’re left to focus significantly more on policy. There will be some budgetary matters, especially if we’re responding to shortfalls from the federal governments, but the bulk of work in 2026 will be on policy. Capital Investment Another focus of next year’s work will be the Capital Investment Bill. This fall, the House Capital Investment Committee traveled the state, visiting communities and sites of proposed investment in state infrastructure. Last week, I welcomed them to our district to highlight our community’s needs and the impact of the projects I’ll be fighting for in the Minnesota House. As with our Community Conversation on Gun Violence, the safety of our neighbors is top of mind for my work at the legislature, and two of our regional projects vying for state investment are focused on public safety. I welcomed the committee to one of the City of Minnetonka’s fire stations, which is in need of an upgrade. MPR covered the visit, which you can read about and listen to here. |