In the final stretch of the 2026 legislative session, my House colleagues and I have been busy working on passing bills addressing; housing, public safety, school funding, and more. A key highlight is the passage of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) bill. I proudly voted YES to pass the strongest, most effective independent watchdog office in the country. The Office of the Inspector General, along with tons of other anti-fraud measures we've passed and will pass, will ensure that our public dollars are safe from criminals.
Fraud is never acceptable. I am dedicated to combating fraud and will work tirelessly with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass bills that strengthen oversight and ensure lasting program integrity.
I appreciated seeing so many friendly faces at my recent community coffee hour. Thank you for taking the time to join us last Friday morning. Supporting a local small business and connecting with the community to discuss issues that matter to us is one of my favorite parts of this job. We had a great conversation with diverse perspectives that truly represented our district.
It was wonderful to hear feedback on Paid Leave, voter integrity, efforts to save HCMC, data centers, and more. I always value hearing from our neighbors and am honored to represent our district at the Capitol.
Education Bills Making a Difference
In recent news, the Minnesota Department of Education has partnered with Teaching Strategies to launch the new Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment (MnKFA). This initiative, championed by my office and signed into law by Governor Walz in 2023, ensures our youngest learners start school with the support they need. This approach respects every child’s developmental stage and reflects Minnesota's commitment to modernizing how we measure student learning and success.
Data collected from the assessment will support classroom instruction, inform local decision-making, and contribute to a broader statewide understanding of early learning and the transition into kindergarten. The pilot program will officially go into effect this fall and I look forward to hearing back from stakeholders and teachers on the implementation process.
Recently, I was informed by local intermediate district superintendents of the successful launch of their Intermediate Teacher Apprenticeship Program. I was proud to lead this work and pass transformative bipartisan legislation to provide critical investments in the program’s sustainability and long-term impact.
Since the passage of my bill, Intermediate Districts 916, 287, 917, and 288 will graduate 21 new special education teachers this year! This is excellent news. We are addressing the ongoing shortage of licensed special education teachers across our state in real time and seeing the positive impacts in our community. Investing in our educators is an investment in our workforce and the well-being of Minnesota’s most vulnerable students.
I remain committed to strengthening our education system for all Minnesota students.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime with questions, input, or to let me know how I can help. Due to technological constraints, direct replies to this email won’t reach me. Please email me directly at rep.mary.frances.clardy@house.mn.gov or call 651-296-3533.
Thank you for the honor of representing our Inver Grove Heights, West Saint Paul, Mendota Heights, Lilydale, and Sunfish Lake neighbors at the State Capitol.
Mary Frances Clardy
Minnesota State Representative (53A)
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