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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
With May underway and just two weeks left in the legislative session, work at the Capitol has entered its final stretch. Committee deadlines are behind us, and the focus has shifted fully to the House floor as we work to finalize key pieces of legislation. In these closing days, the priority is clear: deliver real results for Minnesotans. That means addressing the cost of living, protecting taxpayer dollars, supporting our local communities, and following through on the issues that matter most to the people we represent. I remain focused on advancing practical, common-sense solutions and making the most of the time we have left before the session adjourns.
Mineral Articles
This week, House File 5092 was heard in the House Tax Committee and laid over for possible inclusion in the final tax bill. This legislation would provide additional support for Minnesota schools without increasing the tax burden on Minnesotans, by better aligning existing resources and revenues to meet current needs.
A key component of the bill recognizes the importance of Minnesota’s mineral articles and the role they play in generating value for the state. By responsibly leveraging these resources, this bill helps ensure that more funding can be directed back into our schools and classrooms. Our schools are in dire need of help, and this is just one approach that we can utilize to help them without weighing taxpayers down even more with additional taxes.
This approach strengthens education funding while maintaining fiscal responsibility, allowing schools to better support students, teachers, and programming across the state. I appreciate the thoughtful discussion in committee and remain optimistic about the potential for this bill to make a meaningful impact as budget negotiations continue.
 Making Space for our Drill Cores
Additionally, my bill to address an important issue facing Minnesota’s drill core library, House File 4146, passed off the House floor with strong support. These core samples are incredibly valuable, providing critical geological data that supports research, mineral exploration, and responsible development across our state. Right now, the library is running out of space, and current law limits the ability to store additional samples off-site. Without a solution, we risk losing access to important materials simply because there is no room to properly preserve them.
HF 4146 provides a practical, temporary fix by allowing drill cores to be stored at alternative locations while we work to expand the existing facility. This ensures these important resources are preserved and can ultimately be made accessible to the public again. This is a commonsense step to protect valuable data, support future economic development, and ensure Minnesota remains a leader in managing its natural resources responsibly.
While the drill core library storage issue will not be completely resolved right away, this gives us the time to come up with a solution so that all of our drill cores can be publicly displayed.
Assumption Catholic School Students
I had the pleasure of meeting with this group of Assumption Catholic School 6th graders, who made the trip down from Hibbing this week! Thanks to Senator Farnsworth for joining and to the teacher and students for meeting with us.
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