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March 4, 2025
Legislative Update
Friends & Neighbors,
We’ve been hard at work in St. Paul, debating key bills and advancing policies that put Minnesotans first. Last week was a busy one, with several important bills passing the House—some even with broad bipartisan support. Unfortunately – bills like the one to protect girls' sports have failed to even garner one Democrat vote.
I also had the opportunity to host a town hall last Friday in Pierz where I had great conversations with many of you about the issues that matter most to our community. Your engagement is critical—whether it’s through town halls, committee testimony, coming to Capitol rallies, or reaching out to my office. Your voice matters.
Protecting Girls’ Sports: Why This Shouldn’t Be a Partisan Fight
On Monday, House Democrats had the chance to do the right thing—to stand up for fairness, safety, and the integrity of women’s sports. Instead, they voted unanimously against House File 12, the Preserving Girls’ Sports Act, choosing to allow biological males to continue competing in girls’ athletics. This isn’t just bad policy—it’s a slap in the face to every young woman who has worked hard to earn her place in competition.
Let’s be clear: this bill wasn’t about excluding anyone, it was about ensuring girls have the opportunities they were promised under Title IX. That law was passed to level the playing field, giving female athletes the chance to compete and succeed without being overshadowed by male competitors. But now, thanks to the radical shift in priorities from the left, women’s sports are becoming meaningless. Young women are losing medals, championships, and college scholarships to biological males. In some cases, entire teams have been displaced by competitors who never should have been in their division in the first place.
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This should never have been a partisan issue. Polls consistently show that the vast majority of Americans—nearly 80%, including 67% of Democrats—support keeping girls’ sports for biological females. Even elite female athletes like 12-time NCAA All-American Swimmer Riley Gaines (left), who spoke on the steps of the Capitol in favor of this bill yesterday, have spoken out, warning that if we don’t stop this now, there will be no future for girls' sports. Other professional athletes such as former Gopher and Superbowl Champion Ben Utech (top) and former Vikings Captain Jack Brewer, also voiced their support at the Capitol. But Democrats in the House ignored all of this, siding with activists instead of standing up for young women.
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Two Bipartisan Wins for Minnesotans
At a time when political gridlock often dominates the headlines, it was refreshing to see two common-sense bills pass the House with strong bipartisan support late last week.
🔹 House File 289 – The SAVI Bill: This bill creates a State Agency Value Initiative (SAVI), encouraging innovation and cost savings across state agencies. It allows agencies to retain a portion of their budget savings when they identify efficiencies—rather than letting that money disappear into bureaucracy. In short, it rewards good stewardship of taxpayer dollars. This bill passed unanimously because both sides agreed that government should be more efficient and accountable.
🔹 House File 72 – Keeping Taxpayer Money Out of Politics: This bill prohibits organizations that receive state funding from using that money for political purposes. Simply put, taxpayer dollars should never be used to fund political campaigns—no matter which side of the aisle benefits. It’s a basic issue of fairness and transparency, and I was glad to see it pass with overwhelming support (130-3).
These bipartisan wins show that, when we focus on fiscal responsibility and fairness, we can find common ground.
Update on House File 10
My bill, House File 10, ensures that Minnesota citizens are prioritized in important programs such as scholarship or Medicaid programs, before we begin to take care of those who are here illegally. Over the past several weeks, it has made its way through multiple committees on its way to the House Floor. This week, it passed through the State Government Finance and Policy Committee. Even better, we had a couple of people from our district come to testify on behalf of the bill and give it an extra push to pass today. Thank you for your words of support!
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The Governor's Monopoly for the Tribes
This week I wrote a column in the Star Tribune about Governor Walz’s attempt to give exclusive control of the cannabis market and the sports betting market to tribal nations.
Federal law specifically precludes this type of exclusivity for gaming as specified in IGRA. Further a move like this would be very concerning for the future of our local charities.
Minnesota charities deserve a level playing field—not a system where a handful of special interests get all the benefits while hardworking Minnesotans are locked out. I will continue standing against monopolistic deals that hurt businesses, taxpayers, and economic opportunity in our state. You can read the full column here.
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 Keeping the eye on the prize. Safety, infrastructure investments, and a look towards the future go hand in hand. Recently, I met with the Royalton City Officials to strategize about our long term goal of fixing the Hwy 10 and County Road 26 intersection for the safety of all, the economic prosperity of the city and greater community, and future growth of our area.
Local leaders and I are committed to finding the right solution to fit the community and are actively listening to the priorities and concerns of residents and business owners. We know this corridor is a gateway to the north and to lake country. We must remain diligent, consistent, and dedicated toward pursuing this project intentionally with local, state, and federal partners until the project is finished.
Let’s Keep the Momentum Going
There’s still a lot of work ahead, but I’m encouraged by the progress we’re making. Whether it’s fighting for fair competition in sports, ensuring responsible government spending, or stopping unfair political deals, I will continue standing up for our community and our common-sense values.
As always, I want to hear from you. If you have thoughts on legislation, need assistance with state government, or want to share your perspective, please reach out. Thank you for your continued support, and I’ll keep you updated as the session moves forward!
Until next time,
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