Proudly serving Senate District 18, including the cities of:

St. Peter, Nicollet, Courtland, Mankato, North Mankato, Eagle Lake, Kasota, Lafayette, and rural Nicollet County. 

Session Has Started

Hello, constituents of Senate District 18 (formerly Senate District 19)! I would like to welcome you to the 2023 Legislative Session. Last week we handed in our election certificates, were sworn into office, organized officially and adopted rules, and got to work swiftly to start delivering on our promises to improve the lives of Minnesotans across the state. I am honored to represent you and our community at the capitol once again. I look forward to keeping you informed on the important work we do throughout the session. Our biweekly newsletter is one of the many ways I will do that. 

This year, I have been appointed to serve on new committees. I will be the Chair of the Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate Committee and was elected again as a Senate DFL Caucus Assistant Majority Leader. I am also the Vice Chair of the Finance Committee. In addition, I will serve on the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, the Rules and Administration Committee, Capital Investment Committee (better known as the bonding committee), the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement, and the Legislative Audit Commission. Of course, I am a proud member of the Senate DFL Rural Caucus. 

First Hearing

We held our first two meetings of the Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate Committee this week and started laying out our priorities for the session. You can view the stream of our first committee hearing here. Near the top of our list are the matching funds for the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA). These federal bills provide a great wealth of funding for energy projects and investments in our state. We have prioritized allocating those funds swiftly and responsibly to begin the great work of modernizing our energy grid. These projects will bring jobs to Minnesotans, future-proof our energy grid, and, most importantly, provide amazing long-term improvements to our climate health as we strive to be leaders by example in this policy field. We have a great opportunity to bolster Minnesota’s already great economy while simultaneously making smart choices for the future. Being competitive in securing these funds is of vital importance too! Minnesota pays more to the federal government than the benefits we receive, so when there’s an opportunity to secure federal funds, we need to capitalize on those efforts. 

PUC Commissioners

In addition to hearing about the awesome projects and initiatives that can be funded through IRA and IIJA, we confirmed Governor Walz’s appointments of Commissioners to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The PUC is a five-member board that creates and maintains regulations to ensure safe, reliable, affordable utility services for all Minnesotans. The appointments of Commissioner Matthew Schuerger, Commissioner Katherine Sieben, and Commissioner John Tuma were recommended for confirmation by a unanimous vote and now move to the floor for a final confirmation vote by the entire Senate. You can view the committee hearing in which we confirmed these appointments here.

On the floor

The Senate swiftly passed two important bills in the first two weeks of the session. The first bill passed was a priority not only for the Senate DFL but also the House and the Governor’s Office – tax conformity. The bill aligns Minnesota’s tax code more closely with the federal tax code to benefit Minnesota taxpayers in a big way; the bill will save 600,000 Minnesota taxpayers an estimated 100 million dollars! The bill also applies retroactively back to 2019, meaning you will have an opportunity to file an amended return from 2019 up to the present to reap tax benefits that may have been missed in previous years. This is a tremendous success for our state. This bill, passed so swiftly by all bodies and signed into law by Governor Walz, shows that gridlock will no longer stand in the way of good legislation.

The next bill passed through the Senate was an important bill for our friends in the Iron Range. The bill extends unemployment insurance benefits for iron ore miners in Greater Minnesota who have been hit hard by mines shuttering over the last many months. The extension lasts 26 weeks and gives miners a much-needed lift until later this year, when mines are expected to reopen and be back on track. I am glad to see Greater Minnesota receiving benefits swiftly and early in the session – I think it bodes well for the unity that Governor Walz strives for with his One Minnesota messaging.

We want to hear from you!

My staff and I are ready to receive your letters, emails, and phone calls on what matters to YOU as citizens of this fine district. Let us know your legislative priorities and how you feel about issues across all policy fields. We track constituent sentiment closely, and I am committed as your Senator to ensuring your sentiments are represented here at the Capitol. I cannot thank you enough for sending me back to the Capitol to represent you all, and I look forward to getting a lot of incredible work done in the next five months! 

SD18 In the News

Minnesota lawmakers weighing policies impacting kids (KEYC News Now)

City of Mankato opens up applications for block grant program (KEYC News Now)

Alan Page, first Black MN Supreme Court Justice, to speak at Gustavus MLK event (St. Peter Herald)
A Mankato classic car dealership will be featured on a new History Channel series (KEYC News Now)