Good afternoon, I have a lot to share with you about what happened at the Capitol this week. For more information on the following topics, please click on the thumbnail photos to see the original posts. MSHSLAs you may have heard, President Trump recently signed an Executive Order that bans biological men from participating in women's sports. This is a huge win for female athletes across the country, providing them with free and fair competition in sports. However, the Minnesota State High School League (MNHSL) issued a horrible follow-up statement saying that they would not obey Trump's order and would follow MN state law instead. This means that the MSHSL is allowing biological men to compete in women's sports and use their locker rooms at the high school level, with students as young as 7th grade being effected. As legislators in Minnesota, we have a responsibility to stand up for these vulnerable young women who want to participate in the sports they love without having to face male peers in competition. Myself and many of my GOP colleagues signed a letter to the MSHSL condemning their choice to disobey Trump's order. Female athletes at any level, but especially in high school, deserve to compete and practice their sport without fear of seeing male athletes in their locker rooms and competitions.  Here is our letter to the MSHSL, which you can click on to read in full and see all Representative signatures. Since we sent this letter to the MSHSL, the U.S. Department of Education has launched investigations on both Minnesota and California for their refusal to follow the original executive order. I am thankful for the presidential administration and their relentless protection of female athletes across the country. I stand behind these athletes and affirm their right to free and fair competition.  HFs 24 and 25This week, many of our priority bills entered committees and began moving through the legislative process towards the House floor. Two that I want to highlight are HFs 24 and 25. These bills are each about infant and maternal care, offering help and protections to these vulnerable groups. Rep. Krista Knudsen's HF24 is called the "Born Alive Rollback" and extends protections to babies born surviving an abortion, meaning that doctors are required to do what is medically necessary for the life and health of the baby. Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar's HF25 provides grant funding in the amount of $4 million to pregnancy centers and maternity homes. By allocating funding to these centers, rather than Planned Parenthood, we actually give mothers the choice to do what is best for them and their baby. I am grateful for the work of colleagues such as Knudsen and Zeleznikar to extend protections and aid to mothers and babies when they need it most.  Representative Knudsen is pictured at a press conference for HFs 24 and 25. Click the thumbnail to watch the whole video. Meetings this Week Governor Walz met us on the House floor to give out his annual 'bipartisan bars.' We had a brief chance to chat and discussed the importance of a bonding bill getting done. I also had the pleasure of meeting Mike Doyle. Mike is a part of the Minnesota Athletic Trainers’ Association and was visiting the Capitol for the Athletic Trainer Day on the Hill. Thanks for stopping by, Mike!   I met a group of students from Germany this week. They are here on exchange and studying at Melrose Area High School. It was great to meet everyone and show them around the Capitol for a day!  Visitors from Telecom Day at the Capitol Shoutouts Congratulations to Osakis Spelling Bee Champion 5th grader, Lucy Dahlheimer! Lucy advanced from Okasis to compete at the Regional competition in Fergus Falls this past week. Way to go, Lucy! District EventsHappy Valentine's Day! I wish you quality time spent with friends, family, or loved ones this weekend. Fishing for the Cure Ice Fishing: Saturday, February 15th from 12-3pm  Protecting Prosperity: Friday, February 28th, 2:30-4pm Link to register 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!
Please 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!  |