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February 21, 2025
Legislative Update
Friends and Neighbors,
It’s been a busy and rewarding week at the Capitol! I’ve had the opportunity to meet with so many of you—hearing your concerns about public safety, education, and government accountability. These conversations shape the work I do, and I truly appreciate your engagement.
I also want to give a special shoutout to our FFA students and educators as we celebrate FFA Week! Agriculture is the backbone of our state, and FFA helps prepare the next generation of leaders by teaching hard work, responsibility, and the importance of farming in our economy. To all the students in FFA: Keep up the great work! Your dedication is shaping Minnesota’s future.
Now, let’s dive into some of the key issues we tackled this week.
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Fighting Fraud & Restoring Trust in Government
Minnesota has seen over $610 million in fraud—most notably with the Feeding Our Future scandal, where taxpayer dollars meant for hungry children were stolen in a massive scheme. This is unacceptable, and we need real accountability.
That’s why House Republicans are making fraud prevention a top priority with HF 1, which creates an Independent Office of Inspector General (OIG) to root out fraud across state agencies. Here’s what it does:
- Establishes an independent OIG under the Legislative Audit Commission to investigate fraud across state agencies.
- Removes political interference by ensuring nonpartisan oversight, so fraud investigations don’t get buried.
- Strengthens safeguards for state grants and welfare programs, preventing waste and abuse before it happens.
With billions of taxpayer dollars at stake, we must take action to restore trust in state government. HF 1 has already cleared three committees—including two just this week—and is making its way to the House floor soon.
Preserving Fairness in Girls' Sports
The Preserving Girls’ Sports Act took a critical step forward this week as it was heard in the Education Committee. This bill ensures that biological males do not compete in girls’ sports, bringing Minnesota in line with federal orders.
The issue has gained national attention as groups like the NCAA allowed biological men to dominate women’s sports. Recently, an executive order put a stop to this at the federal level.
However, the Minnesota State High School League cannot comply with the federal order due to changes to the Minnesota Human Rights Act, passed by Democrats last year. This bill ensures that our daughters do not have to compete against men in sports. Recent polling has shown that 80% of Americans and even 67% of Democrats agree that biological men should not be able to participate in women’s sports. After so many years of fighting for women's' athletics, and its recent growing popularity at the national level, this bill protects decades of progress and the integrity and safety of women’s sports for generations to come.
Repealing Mandates and Strengthening Education
Minnesota’s education system should focus on academic excellence—not political agendas. Unfortunately, unfunded mandates have placed a heavy burden on our schools, contributing to budget deficits and declining test scores. Right now, less than half of Minnesota students are proficient in reading and math—a crisis we must address.
Two important bills we heard this week take steps toward reducing mandates while improving educational outcomes:
HF 6: Cutting Unnecessary Mandates
- Eliminates outdated regulations that restrict local schools.
- Redirects resources to classrooms, not bureaucracy.
- Expands career-focused learning like P-TECH programs to better prepare students for jobs.
HF 29: Repealing Political Curriculum
Last year, changes were made to Minnesota’s social studies curriculum, that shifted the curriculum's focus to activism rather than actual history and civics. HF 29 reverses these changes by:
- Suspending the adoption of new social studies standards until 2030 to prevent rushed, politically motivated curriculum changes.
- Repealing the ethnic studies mandate, which promotes divisive ideologies over actual learning.
- Canceling taxpayer funding for these programs, ensuring dollars go toward reading, math, and history—not political agendas.
Our schools should teach kids how to think—not what to think. At a time when our students are struggling to comprehend basic skills necessary for real-world success, we should be focused on improving those outcomes, not teaching political agendas.
Coffee with Constituents Today!
Swing by Gordy's today for Coffee with Constituents. This is an event for anyone to come by and talk about their legislative concerns or ideas in a less formal setting. Hope to see you there!
Photos
 Thank you to everyone that came down for Minnesota Social Service day at the Capitol to discuss some of the challenges that you’re facing in your industry.
 Thank you W Lake Superior Sanitary District Representatives for stopping by the Capitol.
 Great to see our Pine County and Carlton County Sheriff down here at the Capitol.
 I’m so thankful to have the various pastoral staff coming by the Capitol to visit and offer prayer and words of encouragement.
 Great to see so many awesome smiling faces down here at the Capitol from the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.
 Nothing like a good old-fashioned border battle. Got to meet star Gopher DB and Esko native, Koi Perich, today as he took Paul Bunyan's Axe for a victory lap around the Capitol. The Axe returned home after the Gophers defeated Wisconsin 24-7 this past November.
SKI-U-MAH! Go Gophers!
 Senator Rarick and myself had the opportunity to spend some time with some of the homeschoolers down at the Capitol!
 Thank you Mark Thell & Eric Braun for stopping by to discuss Green Burials as well as other topics affecting our community.
 Great to have Dr Randy Rice MD & Dr Denia Ann Spies Kamp MD stop by the Capitol to discuss challenges you are facing in the medical field.
 Thank you, Shawn Garvey, for stopping by with some of your team for Minnesota Academy of Physician’s Association Day at the Hill.
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