Rep. Tom Sexton - Legislative Update 02.21.25

Legislative Update

Dear friends and neighbors,

I have been extremely busy this week at the Capitol. We are fully in the swing of session, and I am grateful to be able to share what I have been up to.

HF1004

I am proud to be the chief author of House File (HF) 1004. With just a small amount of funding, this bill enables a Helmets to Hardhats program in Minnesota. As the name implies, Helmets to Hardhats supports our Veterans transitioning out of the armed forces and enables them to pursue a career in the Construction Industry. Based on my experience transitioning out of the military and into a career in pipeline construction, I sincerely appreciated all my Veteran coworkers who helped me find my niche in my new career. Helmets to Hardhats is a highly successful program that is receiving bipartisan support as coauthors on the bill. I look forward to sharing updates as this bill moves through the House and I am excited to support such a worthy cause.

Reminder: Coffee with Tom

Want the inside scoop on our activities up in St. Paul? Please join me for my next session of Coffee with Tom. The next event is next Friday, February 28th at Medford Congregational United Church (211 S Main Medford St). Then we will start next month in Owatonna on the first Friday and in Waseca on the second Friday. Thank you to all who have joined and who will join for taking the time to meet with me and share your concerns. This is a great way for me to connect with community members and guide my decision making in St. Paul.

Here is the group from Waseca last week, I would love to see you there soon!

Back Row: Richard Stagman, Jessica Rollins, Gordie Christensen, Rep. Sexton, Adam Knewtson and Jim Boerboom

From Row: Katie Gonzales, Mikhail Rostislavovich, Kristie Biehn, Brad Milbrath and Matthew Petsinger

Soy Day on the Hill

We hosted Minnesota soy farmers for Soy Day on the Hill. I had an opportunity to sit down and talk to several visitors with the Minnesota Soy Growers Association (MSGA). Thank you for the opportunity to talk about farming these days!

I am pictured with Gary Schoenfeld of Waseca

FFA President of Waseca

This week is National FFA Week, and I had the opportunity to meet the current FFA President for Waseca, Adian Androli. Adian will soon be pursuing a degree in Zoology. Great to meet you!

Past Events

I had the opportunity to attend several great events this week, which I want to highlight. As a member of the Capital Investment committee, we toured the Xcel Energy Center on Monday afternoon to learn about renovations needed to keep the arena a premier sports facility. Next, I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with Senator Jasinski and the members of the Steele-Waseca Cooperative. On Tuesday evening, I returned to Waseca for our American Legion Honor Guard Biannual dinner to get together and remember to Veterans we honored over the past two years. As volunteers, we participated in over seventy memorial events both in and out of our area to support the families of our deceased Veterans. I also enjoyed meeting multiple constituents visiting the Capital this week as continue to move bills through the Committee process.

Upcoming Events

I have a busy weekend ahead and wanted to share some of the events I'll be attending! Today, along with other members of the Energy Committee, I’ll be touring a data center in Chaska. This visit will give us valuable insight into how these centers operate, especially as we prepare for upcoming legislation related to data infrastructure. In the evening, I’ll be back at the Legion Post in Waseca for the burger fry dinner, a great opportunity to connect with the community. After dinner, I’m heading to the Sleigh & Cutter dance as part of the annual festival. I look forward to seeing many of you there, be sure to check out all the festivities happening this weekend.

The Sleigh and Cutter Parade will be starting at 12:00 (Noon) in Waseca on Saturday, February 22nd.