Dear friends and neighbors, I hope you have been enjoying our warmer temperatures this week and have thawed out from the recent deep freeze. I hope you all had the chance to get out and enjoy the nicer weather. I know I was missing home thinking about getting out ice fishing! Continued BoycottAs I'm sure you've heard, House Democrats have continued to decide not to show up for work, blocking official work from being done. All elected officials have been entrusted with a responsibility to represent their communities and participate in the legislative process, no matter the circumstances. The decision to skip work undermines public trust and delays critical progress on issues that matter to Minnesotans. Accountability to voters is fundamental, and it’s essential that all lawmakers show up, do the work they were elected to do, and demonstrate the leadership that is expected of them. I am here working at the Capitol every day, and it's time that my Democrat counterparts do the same. I know for me that the privilege you all have given me to serve our district is one I don’t take lightly. Being accountable to you, the law, and our state is paramount to our government. My hope is that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will realize their fault and return to St. Paul so we can start making real progress on the issues that need to be addressed. We have very important work to do this session, including passing a budget so that our state can continue operating as normal. Each day that we are not able to work for the changes that Minnesota needs, our communities are suffering. I hope that we can get to work as soon as possible.  In the waiting, we have met in working groups similar to our committees. I will serve as Chair of the Housing Committee, and have gotten together with those members and staff to discuss relevant housing issues. We are also looking into potential solutions for the problems that we have identified and connecting those with bill ideas.  Bill UpdatesAlthough official business is on hold, I am still busy at work. I have been taking meetings, talking to constituents, and preparing bills for when the time comes to introduce them. As I've shared already, I have been leading the bill that will remove the nuclear moratorium. When it hits the House floor, I will be the chief sponsor, as this issue is extremely important to me, our region, and the future of our state. I have been working on legislation since 2021 along with other bills related to all kinds of energy: carbon capture, hydroelectric capacity, and biomass that will also be introduced again.  Even though there has been a delay in the introduction of bills, that doesn’t mean they are not ready to go. I have been hard at work in drafting bills for our community and state and they are on my desk ready to be introduced upon the return of my democrat colleagues. Contact MeMake sure to keep your eye out for the next newsletter for current news about what's happening at the Capitol. I am here and at work for you. If you have any concerns or would like to have a conversation, I am available by phone at 651-296-4936 or by email. I look forward to hearing from you!  |