Dear friends and neighbors, It has been another unorthodox week at the Capitol. I will explain the outcome and impacts of a Supreme Court ruling from last week, as well as what we are doing in the aftermath of that decision. The first few weeks of session were not normal, but we were still able to work without the Democrats. Now, we have been completely stopped and are at the liberty of their decision to show up or not, which they are opting to stay away. Supreme CourtLate last week the Supreme Court ruled that the House needs 68 members present to conduct official business. Since the Democrats are refusing to work, we are on hold from working on legislation like we were for the past few weeks. However, I am staying active by holding meetings and attending events to learn more about the most critical issues in our district. Fraud in the HeadlinesOne of our main focuses this session is on fraud, particularly on how we can get rid of it here. Several huge fraud operations were discussed in the news this week including autism centers, NUWAY, CCAP, and Feeding our Future. The official ScandalTracker has a detailed list of each organization involved in fraud with government funds. The tracker records a total of over $610 million in fraud from 2019-2025, including the addition of $58 million from NUWAY this week. There is a serious fraud problem in Minnesota, and we are taking action to address it and prevent it from happening in the future. House Republicans held a fraud press conference earlier this week, outlining what we want to do about the problem.  A.B.A.T.E.  I had the pleasure of meeting with A.B.A.T.E. on Thursday and discussing the issues that are important to them. A.B.A.T.E. stands for American Bikers for Awareness, Training, and Education of Minnesota, and the group is made up of motorcyclists who are dedicated to freedom of the road and freedom of choice. Thank you to these A.B.A.T.E. members who took the time to visit me! PrioritiesSince we haven't been holding productive floor sessions or committee meetings, we have instead been organizing in small groups. By continuing to meet with GOP colleagues, we can invite community leaders and experts to teach us more about the challenges that residents across the state are facing. We have also been picking apart the governors recent budget proposal and how it will impact our communities. It's clear that government spending has been too high, and excessive taxation has put an unnecessary burden on our families. It's clear that public safety is a concern in the Twin Cities and outstate Minnesota. Even as we can't conduct official business, I am working hard to educate myself about important issues and outline legislation for when the time comes to introduce it. District EventsOpen Mic Night: Sunday, February 2nd at 4pm Boys Varsity Basketball: Sauk Centre Mainstreeters vs Benson Braves. Tuesday, February 4th at 7pm Fishing for the Cure Ice Fishing: Saturday, February 15th from 12-3pm Every Thursday: - Soup Thursday at Carlos Creek Winery. Warm up from cold temps with famous, made-from-scratch soup.
- Smart Alex Trivia at Copper Trail Brewing Company. Trivia is free to play and there are gift card prizes for the top three scoring teams!
Contact MeIf you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-3201 or rep.mary.franson@house.mn.gov I would love to hear from you. It’s an honor to represent the best!  |