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Dear friends and neighbors on the Iron Range,
It’s been a full and productive stretch across the Iron Range these past weeks, and I continue to be encouraged by the people that drive progress in our region. We are blessed with people that invest their time and energy to strengthen our economy, support our workforce, and build a strong future for the Range. Thanks to everyone that contributes to our success in Northeastern Minnesota!
2025 Manufacturing Day
Our family had a great time at the 2025 ME Elecmetal Manufacturing Day - Foundry Open House. We got to take a firsthand look at the foundry industry and the importance of keeping these jobs in America. Foundry castings made in the USA are becoming rare due to rising energy costs and competition from low-priced offshore labor, but ME Elecmetal continues to stand out as a strong local employer with around 150 positions—most of them proudly represented by the United Steelworkers union. It was great to visit Gary New Duluth again and see so many familiar faces supporting local manufacturing.
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ACLT Board Meeting
Dietrich and I had the chance to attend the Associated Contract Loggers and Truckers (ACLT) board meeting last week, where we heard an detailed update on SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) projects. It’s always a pleasure to connect with professionals in our logging and wood products industries and to collaborate with Senator Rob Farnsworth and Commissioner Mike Jugovich on issues that impact our shared districts. I appreciated the warm welcome and productive discussion from our Logger community – these folks are in the woods everyday, and our forests are healthier because of the work they do.
Prepping for the Pan Continental Curling Championships
While I couldn’t make it to the curling club myself, my wife, Maria was hard at work alongside many dedicated volunteers preparing the ice at the Range Recreation Civic Center for the upcoming Pan Continental Curling Championships (sponsored by United States Steel Corporation). It’s exciting to see world-class events like this come to our region, supported by strong local partners such as USS, NewRange Copper Nickel, Park State Bank and Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. Thank you to USA Curling and everyone involved for showcasing what makes the Iron Range a great host for this international competition.
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Mining Precious Metals
Too often we are told that mining and clean water cannot coexist in Minnesota, but real-world examples prove otherwise. In the Upper Penninsula of Michigan is the Eagle Mine, operating successfully since 2014, proving that responsible, modern, underground mining can thrive while protecting our environment. A recent video highlights this mine’s safe and efficient operations, from mining to processing, showcasing our passion that northeastern Minnesota could lead the nation in sustainable mining practices.
Check out the video here!
Fighting the Sulfate Standard
As you know, there has been an ongoing push against Minnesota’s unreasonable sulfate standard here on the Range. It is crucial that we get the standard right, because the effects will be far reaching – all across our state! Thanks to Ranger’s showing up at the MPCA’s public presentation and forum, and many community discussions, USS Keetac has extended the timeline to make a final decision on their variance request. This is great news, but we must keep fighting! Check out an article from the Mesabi Tribune on the topic here.
Fighting for our Female Athletes
I recently joined my colleagues in signing a letter to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) following a federal warning regarding their non-compliance with Title IX at the high school level. The notice made it clear that failure to comply could put federal education funding at risk. Protecting both fairness in athletics and vital school funding is essential, and I appreciate the strong support from my fellow legislators in standing up for students across Minnesota.
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Bonding Tour on the Iron Range
Last week, I had the pleasure of joining the Capital Investment Committee on their bonding tour stops in Chisholm, Virginia, Eveleth, and Hibbing (Buhl presentations were included at MN North-Hibbing). This was the second tour in a series of five, making stops to see various infrastructure projects around the state. We need to be sure to invest in our valuable assets in our communities, and I enjoyed seeing colleagues from both parties taking part in seeing what the Range needs. Thank you all for touring our hometowns!
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Remembering Roy Smith
Our region lost a remarkable man this week with the passing of Roy Smith, who died after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. Roy will be remembered for his wisdom, kindness, humor, and steadfast dedication to his work and our community; he was also a mentor to countless people, whose lives have been made better because of him. His absence will be deeply felt by all who had the privilege of knowing him, both personally and professionally. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.
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Please Contact Me
Please continue to reach out if I can be of any assistance to you. The best method is to use my email – I am rarely near the office phone, but that number is 651.296.0170 and you can try me there too.
Have a great weekend!
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