Friends,

As the two-year biennium comes to a close, I am at a loss for words. I have been in the House and the Senate. I have been in the majority and the minority. I’ve never seen anything like this.

I had lingering hopes for increased bipartisanship during the 2024 legislative session. We started the session with a few bipartisan wins, including two of my top priorities — to get school resource officers back in the classroom and repair an error in tax law that would have increased taxes on Minnesotans. However, the events that unfolded on the Senate floor on the last day of session exemplified why achieving a fruitful year of bipartisanship was simply out of reach.

After months of my Republican colleagues see and I trying to compromise and work together, the majority waited until the last fifteen minutes to drop a monster bill on the floor. The majority passed HF 5247, a 1400-page, double-sided bill, without any of us having access to it before we voted! The bill was not available to read in person or online, nor was it explained by the authors on the floor. As a result, what exactly passed remains unclear.

It was simply a stunning turn of events. In my 16 years in the legislature, I have never seen anything like it. The essence of a democratic republic lies in its capacity for discourse. Our system is designed to ensure every voice is heard and every constituent is represented. Passing a bill this large, in this fashion, was a sheer raw abuse of political power in order to achieve a political agenda. It silenced half the Senate and, more importantly, half of Minnesotans.

The close of our legislative session was a cynical display of politics. Republicans loudly objected to passing legislation that lmk wasn’t available for review but Democrats rammed through their agenda while silencing dissent.

The legislative process is not intended to operate this way, and I’m incredibly disappointed it came to this. I have always prioritized working with all my colleagues to deliver for my constituents, because that’s how a representative democracy is supposed to work. Minnesotans deserve better.

Beyond the shocking end to the 2024 session, the 2023–2024 legislature has been disappointingly and frustratingly partisan. 2023 started with a $19 Billion surplus. A procedural change to automatically include inflation in budgeting reduced the surplus to $17.5 billion, but even that was not enough to satisfy the massive spending desires of Democrats with single-party control. State spending increased by 40% and hardworking Minnesotans were hit with $10 Billion of tax hikes.

When the new legislature begins next January, I am hopeful we can make an effort to rebuild the relationships that have been damaged, restore our collaborative approach, and focus on being better and more responsible stewards of the government that Minnesotans have entrusted to us.

This is the one and only copy of the 1432-page double sided bill that came to the Senate in the final 15 minutes before session adjournment. It was not online. It was not discussed on the floor. It was put up for a vote and rammed through our legislative body.

Read on for:

• Nelson Bipartisan Bills to become Law (Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact; Safe Driving Discount; Pensions)
• P- TECH Update
• Congratulations to Seniors
• Refund for unclaimed money and missing property

Nelson Bipartisan Bills and Initiatives to Become Law:

I am glad to report that several of the initiatives from constituents did become law!

• Dentist and Dental Hygienist Interstate Compact SF2990: There is a great shortage of dentists and dental hyginists. This will offer a modern portable license allowing dentists and dental hygienists who meet requirements to practice in multiple states with a single, portable license.
• Safe Driving Discount SF727: reduces the Safe Driving Safety course hours from 8 to 4 for the 10% senior insurance discounts. This will increase participation and save lives.
• Fire Pensions HF 5040: will help recruitment into fire leadership roles by clarifying firefighter eligibility for membership in the PERA-P&F plan regardless of where a firefighter started their career. Supported by the City of Rochester, the Fire Chiefs Association, and the League of MN Cities.

Restoring Funding and Future Eligibility for Rochester’s PTECH

This legislative session, I fought against an amendment that phased out funding and eligibility for the innovative highly successful Rochester P-TECH program. While it died on the Senate floor, I am glad the Education Finance Conference Committee ultimately did indeed restore the funding.

P-TECH has been and must remain a program that transcends the partisan rancor.

Congratulations High School Graduates!

Congratulations to every senior graduating in 2024! You completed your high school journey during the unprecedented times of pandemic uncertainty, shutdowns, and remote learning. Yet you prevailed! It is a joy to celebrate and recognize your successes. May you and your family celebrate this wonderful milestone achievement and may you continue to be lifelong learners. Our state and nation are counting on you to discover and develop the innovations we need and to lead us through the challenges we will face. I have the greatest of confidence in you and send you best wishes in your future pursuits. And of course a special hats off to all the teachers, parents and loved ones who made your graduation possible and your future bright.

Refund for Unclaimed Property

The State of Minnesota is in possession of millions of dollars worth of unclaimed property including dormant bank accounts, safe deposit boxes, unclaimed wages, security deposits, insurance payments and more. Every year, all organizations that do business in Minnesota are required by law to report unclaimed property to the state. State officials estimate approximately 1 in 20 Minnesotans have unclaimed property that in many cases, they are not even aware of.

Check for unclaimed property on the Department of Commerce site to see if you have any unclaimed property. Follow this step guide to claim unclaimed property or call the Department at 651–539–1545.