Legislative Update
My Friends and Neighbors,
After nearly four weeks of stalemate, the House is finally back in session, and Republicans have secured a major victory in the process. Lisa Demuth will serve as speaker for the entire biennium, and Republicans will hold committee gavels until at least after a special election in the Roseville-area district.
This should have happened on day one, but instead, Democrats chose to boycott the Legislature, refusing to do their jobs (with pay) for nearly a month. Now that we are officially organized, we must act quickly to tackle the key issues like preparing a two-year budget that reflects the looming $5 billion defect in the next biennium.
Republicans Secure a Major Victory in House Agreement
Thursday's agreement puts Republicans in a strong position to deliver results for Minnesotans. Under this deal:
- Lisa Demuth will remain speaker for the full biennium, ensuring Republican leadership in the House.
- Republicans will chair all committees and hold a one-vote majority on every committee until the March 11th special election in Roseville.
- A new GOP-led House Fraud and Agency Oversight Committee will be created to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse in state government. This committee will have a 5-3 Republican majority for the full two years.
Democrats knew this would be the outcome from the beginning, yet they wasted valuable legislative time delaying the inevitable. Now, we must make up for lost time and get to work for the people of Minnesota. As a committee chair and more senior member, I know you expect us to do our work and finish on time. The couple of weeks' delay makes it harder, but I'm ready to face the challenge. See a story I was interviewed in here.
Black Entrepreneurs Day & Supporting Small Businesses
This week, I had the opportunity to recognize Black Entrepreneurs Day, an important event to highlight hardworking and innovative small business owners who contribute to Minnesota’s economy and culture.
Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, creating jobs and fostering innovation. Our state can do more to foster an environment that supports business growth, workforce development, and entrepreneurial success.
As your representative, I remain committed to ensuring that Minnesota is a place where all entrepreneurs can thrive simply by reducing burdensome regulations and expanding economic opportunities for all.
You can watch coverage of the event I attended here.
Prioritizing Practical Transportation Solutions for Minnesotans
As Chair of the House Transportation Committee, I have been hosting numerous workgroups and discussions during the legislative boycott to address flawed policies and explore good ideas on cutting costs and investing in transportation options that Minnesotans actually use.
  A major focus of these discussions has been the NorthStar Commuter Rail Line, which has been a costly and underused project since its launch in 2009. With ridership collapsing — from 767,000 rides in 2019 to just a few hundred riders per day in 2024 — the line now costs taxpayers over $11 million per year while generating minimal fare revenue. This equates to a public subsidy of $116 per passenger ride in the last year alone.
We are asking tough questions about whether taxpayer funding should continue to support a service that has consistently failed to meet ridership expectations.
Minnesotans deserve a transportation system that is reliable, cost-effective, and responsive to the needs of the people. As Chairman, I will work with the committee to ensure that our state’s transportation funding is directed toward projects that serve commuters, businesses, and communities—not politically driven initiatives that waste millions of taxpayer dollars.
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