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Dear friends and neighbors on the Iron Range,
We are wrapping up this week in St. Paul with our first and second committee deadlines. After these deadlines pass, no new bills can be introduced, and our focus shifts to the legislation already moving through the process. From here on, we will spend our time working through details, finding agreement, and moving priority bills forward before the end of session.
APRN Coalition
Monday morning began with a speaking engagement with the Minnesota APRN Coalition, and it was a great opportunity to connect with such a dedicated group of professionals. Recently, Rep. Bianca Virnig and I successfully advanced our Transition to Practice bill (HF1794) out of the Health Committee and onto the General Register. This legislation aims to make transition to full practice easier for Nurse Practitioners, thereby making offers from rural Minnesota clinics more attractive for them to accept immediately after completing their training requirements. I also had the pleasure of meeting a constituent there, Andrea Simek, who was attending the day’s events.
St. Louis County Suicide Prevention Coalition
I appreciated the opportunity to meet with the St. Louis County Suicide Prevention Coalition this week. Thank you to everyone involved for the important work you do supporting individuals and families across our Northland communities. Your commitment to looking out for others and strengthening mental health resources makes a meaningful difference.
Constituent Tour with Ashley Johnson
It’s always an honor to welcome constituents to the Minnesota State Capitol and share the history and beauty of this building. During her visit, Ashley Johnson had the opportunity to take a tour, attend caucus, and watch a floor session. I appreciated her interest in the legislative process and her engagement throughout the day. We covered a lot and had a great time! We’ll have to save the Quadriga rooftop tour for next time when it officially opens for the season.
Social Services
It was great to meet Nina Bergerson from Virginia this week. She was at the Capitol promoting the needs of the Minnesota Social Service Association members. So nice to meet you!
Law Enforcement Day
I enjoyed visiting with officers from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, the Minnesota State Patrol, and departments from across the state during Law Enforcement Day at the Capitol. I’m grateful to the men and women who serve our communities every day and night, working to keep Minnesotans safe.
IBEW Legislative Reception
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) legislative reception was this week in St. Paul. Great to see Dan Hendrickson from IBEW Local 294, meet new people and connect with friends from the 49ers too!
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HF4005 – Biometric Data Privacy
I was grateful to share the testifier’s bench in the Judiciary Committee with my friend Jake Glaser, a steward with Teamsters Local 320. There was strong interest, on both sides of the aisle regarding HF4005, our bill to limit the storage and access of biometric data. While the bill will continue to be refined, the hearing was a great first step. It was also great to connect with fellow Teamsters Buck Humphrey and Kristy Modrow during the visit.
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HCMC
This week, I had a meeting with staff from the Hennepin Healthcare (HCMC), at their request.
We talked about state assets, mandates, unpaid services and the 7,000 employees that work in their health system.
Truly appreciate gaining additional insights as we hear proposals regarding HCMC in the coming days of session.
Working with St. Louis County on HF573
So good to catch up with Jenn Wainionpaa as she attended Minnesota Bankers Association Day on the Hill.
Small Business is depending on us to complete the passage of the PTET (Pass Through Entity Tax) legislation. This costs state government zero dollars, but has over two billion in tax savings for business operators in our state. With the struggles they already face, we certainly want to get this done!
Thanks for the visit, Jenn!
ERDAC
It was a highlight of my day to welcome Tony and Robin Harkonen to the office. In addition to being great people, they are strong advocates for vulnerable individuals, including those served by the East Range Developmental Achievement Center (ERDAC) who depend on quality care and support. As we work through budget decisions, we must ensure that balancing the budget does not come at the expense of our disabled communities. Thank you to Tony and Robin for making the drive and for your continued advocacy!
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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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