Good morning! It has been a cold week here in the Twin Cities and all across the state. Thankfully, we are heading towards warmer temperatures this weekend, and forecasters say that this should be our last extremely cold snap of this winter. I hope you have a chance to enjoy the nicer weather this weekend! HF12Based on the MSHSL decision and our responding letter from last week, we are still fighting hard to protect girl's sports. Rep. Peggy Scott's HF12 is a bill that will make sure that only biological females can play and participate in girls sports. As I said before, our female athletes deserve protection and the ability to play sports without competition from males. HF12 was heard in Education Policy Committee and many female athletes were able to testify in support of the bill. I encourage you to listen to the committee hearing and the courageous testimonies of the girls that came to share their stories. It's clear that our female athletes want to compete without the threat of boys in their sports or locker rooms.  HF413I was able to introduce 2 bills this week, the first one being HF413. This bill changes the age for exemption from needing fishing licenses in Minnesota from age 90 to age 65. I introduced this bill to the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, and I look forward to share updates as they come. HF414The other bill I introduced this week was HF414, which is a bill that reduces the fee to file a data practice complaint. In an effort to enforce data privacy laws, lowering the fee makes it much more accessible to file a complaint for those who have a concern. I introduced this bill to the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee, and I will also share updates as this bill moves towards the floor. FraudWe are also continuing our fight against the fraud that is running rampant across the state. One bill, HF2, will require state employees to report suspected fraud. A requirement like this might have stopped some of the $650 million in fraud that has been uncovered from the last 6 years in Minnesota, and should help stop future fraud from happening. This bill was introduced to the State Government Committee and when it was brought to a vote, all Democrats on the committee voted against this. Thankfully, our Republican votes were enough to pass it along to the next phase of the legislative process.  Since the fraud in Minnesota is not being addressed by Governor Walz or state Democrats, House Republicans wrote a letter to the new Attorney General Pam Bondi. The fraud problem in MN is dire and needs to be addressed immediately. We outlined the scope of fraud in Minnesota and asked the AG to intervene in resolving this issue. Our decision to call on federal resources highlights our commitment to solving our fraud problem and stopping at nothing to ensure it is addressed.  Meeting with U of MN StaffI had a chance to meet with the chancellors from our University of Minnesota school system. It was great to meet and have a chance to talk about higher education in Minnesota.  From left to right; Bryan Herrmann, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Facilities - Morris; Lori Carrell, Chancellor Rochester; Janet Ericksen, Chancellor Morris; Charles Nies, Chancellor UMD; Rosemary Johnsen, Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs Crookston Shoutouts Congratulations to girls basketball player Hadley Thul for reaching 2,000 career points for Alexandria Area High School. Hadley is a senior in high school, intends to continue her academic and athletic career at South Dakota State University, and is in the running for the 2025 Miss Basketball Minnesota honor. Way to go, Hadley! EventsProtecting Prosperity: Friday, February 28th Time: 2:30-4pm Link to register  Sauk Centre Girls Basketball: Friday, February 21st. 7pm v Melrose Area Osakis JH Boys Basketball Game: Saturday, February 22nd. 9-10am. Alexandria Boys Hockey Sections Semi Finals: Saturday, February 22nd. 7pm v Willmar. 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!  |