Legislative Update
As summer winds down and our kids return to school, I want to share a few important updates. From school safety and highway improvements to supporting small businesses and creating bipartisan solutions, the conversations we’ve had in recent weeks are shaping the work I focus on at the Capitol.
Improving Highway and Trail Access and Safety
Highway 7 is a lifeline for our communities, but it has long faced challenges with congestion and safety. The West Arm Bridge in Spring Park is a vital access point for the Dakota Trail, which many in the west metro use, but it needs some much-needed improvements. I’ve been working closely with MnDOT and Hennepin County to advance solutions that improve traffic flow while making it safer for families, cyclists, and pedestrians on both of these projects. These improvements will not only reduce delays and frustrations for drivers but also ensure safer connections to the trails and recreational spaces that make our area unique. I will continue to press for timely progress and keep you updated as this work moves forward. Thank you to Spring Park Mayor Mark Chase for spearheading this bipartisan initiative.
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August Town Hall: Creating Solutions Together
Thank you to everyone who joined me for my August town hall. These gatherings are a chance for us to have honest, open, and productive discussions about the priorities in our district. Topics like strengthening our schools, supporting clean water initiatives, and ensuring strong communities were front and center. I am especially grateful to Barb and many others who shared personal stories and solutions that will help guide my work at the Capitol. These townhalls always demonstrate to everyone who attends that no matter your political beliefs, our community comes together through mutual respect to support solutions to the priorities of Minnesotans. It is also a time for neighbors to hold me accountable, something I welcome as we all want the focus to be on public service, not the political divide.
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Listening to and Supporting Small Businesses
Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and over the past several weeks, I’ve had the privilege of visiting more than 100 business owners right where they work. These conversations have been invaluable in understanding the real challenges they face from rising costs and workforce shortages, to the impacts of recent state legislation.
Two weeks ago, I sent a letter to business leaders across the district inviting them to share their experiences and ideas. I also launched a small business survey to gather feedback from owners and employees about how Minnesota policies are affecting their ability to grow and thrive. If you’re a business owner, please consider adding your voice to the conversation by completing the survey here. You can also read the full letter to businesses below.
 
Creating Safer Schools and Places of Worship
The tragic shooting last week at Annunciation in Minneapolis is a sobering reminder of the responsibility we all share to ensure our children have a safe and secure learning environment and places of worship. My prayers are with the victims, their families, and the first responders who courageously ran toward danger to protect others. As our kids returned to school this week, safety was top of mind for parents across Minnesota, including my family, and it must be a top priority for lawmakers, too. I’ve experienced loss due to gun violence and suicide, including losing a friend at a young age and another in law school, so I know that real conversations have to take place.
This process begins by listening, learning, and not leaving any idea or solution off the table for discussion. I’ve started conversations with parents, neighbors, school administrators, teachers, local law enforcement, and mental health professionals. We must proactively listen to all perspectives as we work to build comprehensive solutions, including addressing guns, improving mental health, enhancing school safety, regulating social media, leveraging technology to support law enforcement, securing flexible funding for schools, strengthening community partnerships, and more. If the Governor calls a special session, we must be ready to put forward evidence-based policies that strengthen school safety immediately, not months or years down the road. That is what I am committed to doing, so that our children, parents, and teachers can walk into a school building or place of worship with confidence that safety is a top priority.
Question of the Week
Last week, I asked: With the need for local infrastructure improvements, where should the state invest if there is a bonding bill next year?
This time, there was a wide variety of responses.
- 24.1% said local roads and bridges,
- 22.4% said local water treatment plants,
- 15.5% said support should go directly to Highway 7 improvements,
- 8.9% said veterans' support services,
- 6.9% said to invest in public safety facilities,
- And the remainder said anything from additional water treatment and utilities to state university funding.
Thank you to everyone who participated.
 This Week's Question
We all know that being a Minnesota sports fan can be rough. Almost every year, we see our professional teams get so close, yet they somehow always lose. Of the four major sports teams by viewership (Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves, and Wild), Minnesota hasn't brought home a championship since the 1991 Twins. That's 34 years ago, the longest drought for any state in the U.S.!
Our women's teams have fared better, with the Lynx last winning in 2017 and the Frost winning the PWHL Championship for its inaugural season in 2024 and again in 2025, making them the only women's hockey team with a championship in that league.
This week's question is about sports. What Minnesota professional sports team has the best chance at bringing home a championship this year?
Answer the question here.
Closing
As always, thank you for sharing your ideas and priorities with me. From town halls to business visits, your voices are what shape my work at the Capitol. I am honored to represent this district, and I look forward to keeping our conversations going as we continue to move away from the negative finger-pointing and towards working together to strengthen our schools, protect our natural resources, and build thriving communities.
Sincerely,
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