Legislative Update – January 24, 2025
Dear Neighbors,
I want to clear the air about why my DFL colleagues, and I continue to deny quorum, and what I have continued to work on during these last two weeks. This is not about one individual or one election contest. It is about upholding the will of voters, the constitution I swore an oath to uphold, and the rule of law. If we do not uphold these basic tenets of the democratic process our democratic republic will not stand.
The voters delivered us a tie in November, delivering for Minnesotans and our community will require working together. We cannot accomplish the people’s work without one another.
While I work on my Legislative work year-round and never take a break from serving my community, I am deeply saddened by the current situation. While it has opened unique opportunities to conduct more meetings in my district and to meet more constituents, speak with more advocates, and be in the community more than my session schedule would allow, being present in the halls of government is deeply personal. It brings a sense of awe and presence to the work.
The democratic process is often messy, sometimes complex and challenging, but strong democratic principles are the foundation of our freedom and our strength regardless of where we come from, what we believe, who we love, or even who we are at our core.
I am hopeful the courts and our leaders will find a path to work together soon, that upholds the will of the voters, restores the rule of law, protects our constitutional principles, and most importantly reminds us we need each other to do this work.
Until the situation is resolved, I will continue to do my work, day in and day out, in service to my country, my state, and my community. And I will stand for our democratic principles. Upholding the will of voters is more important than any individual or party. If we fail to do so, we fail each other and this grand American experiment. I will continue to work in service to my community, in the community. I hope you will continue to follow my page for highlights of my work that continues in service to each of you.
Working for Maple Grove
Throughout the legislative interim (June through December) and the start of this year, I’ve been hard at work preparing legislation and bringing folks from across the political spectrum, experts, and community organizations together to work on issues that affect our district and state.
In this session, I would like to highlight a few of my biggest priorities include the following:
- Homeowners Association (HOA) and Common Interest Community (CIC) reform. As Chair of the HOA/CIC Legislative Task Force, I’ve been traveling to communities across the cities to hear the stories of constituents who have had issues with their HOAs and CICs. Working with a bipartisan group of legislators, I plan to introduce a reform package that will strengthen consumer protection laws and ensure Minnesotans are not taken advantage of by these quasi-government organizations with little oversight. You can read more in this Minnesota Reformer Article which I’m quoted in here.
- Cybersecurity and the Minnesota Kids Code. I’ve spent years building a coalition of legislators, activists, parents, children, experts, and organizations that support the Minnesota Kids Code—a nation-leading effort to protect our kids online. I’ve been having productive conversations with my colleagues on the best way to get this legislation across the finish line this year, ensuring that online products are designed with children’s health and safety top of mind. Most importantly, my legislation is the only one in the country that can be implemented, enforced in a meaningful way, and actually moves the needle to protect kids online. I have helped pass it in other states and continue to use my knowledge and expertise in tech to drive this initiative in MN and across all states.
- Healthcare affordability and accessibility. I’m proud of the progress we made last year in removing barriers to health care, like with my bill to reform the prior authorization process. Making health care more accessible and affordable is a priority for House DFLers this session and I’m looking forward to continuing to make progress for a healthier MN. As a member of the Health Committee, I’ve been touring hospitals, like Gillette’s Children’s Hospital, and meeting with professionals such as the experts on Minnesota’s Rare Disease Council to discuss how the legislature can continue improving access and outcomes this session. Recent visits with the UofM have yielded more insights on Cancer, Mental Health and common disease management like diabetes as well as strategies to improve outcomes while lowering costs to our neighbors.
- Education. This session I will serve on the Education Finance Committee and have been working hard with fellow committee members and nonpartisan staff to get up to speed on the education funding formula and ensure it's working best for districts around the state. I've also had meetings this week with Edu Partnership Coalition, including our friends at the North Side Achievement Zone, and spoke with Hennepin Tech about the pipeline for careers in Comp Sci, Cybersecurity, and Med Tech which are near and dear to me as a tech evangelist working in this space for nearly 30 years.
As you can tell, there is a lot of work to do ahead of us. Voters in November delivered a tie and expect us to find a way to work together without taking unfair advantage. We must honor the will of voters, the MN Constitution and the authority of the courts to uphold the law.
While we await the decision of the courts, it does not change the fact that we must come back to the table and find a reasonable power sharing agreement. The plain and simple truth is that eventually, both sides will need an agreement to work together. Passing bills or a budget requires ALL legislators.
There is NO other way forward. We need each other to get it done.
I look forward to a resolution. You can count on me to be first in line to reach across the aisle to solve the problems that unite us, not divide us.
Yours in service-
Kristin Bahner
State Representative
Maple Grove 37B