Friends and neighbors,
During the 2023 legislative session, Senate Republicans stood up for Minnesota’s nursing homes, securing $300 million in critical aid to help keep these facilities open. However, Governor Walz’s budget proposal threatens this progress by cutting funding, statewide, to long-term care facilities–including 11 long-term care facilities in Senate District 23.
According to new data from the Long-Term Care Imperative, these cuts would strip over $14 million in essential funding from our local facilities over the next four years. Statewide, the governor’s plan includes $218.8 million in nursing home cuts.
With Minnesota facing a $6 billion deficit, we must find responsible cost-saving measures without jeopardizing care for our seniors and vulnerable residents. Balancing the budget should not come at their expense. That’s why Senate Republicans recently introduced a plan to stop government waste and fund Minnesotans first.
Our proposal focuses on key areas where spending reductions could immediately save taxpayers money. This includes cutting wasteful spending on transportation and prioritizing taxpayer dollars for Minnesotans–instead of those here illegally. We are also looking to implement good government reforms that restore integrity to the budget. These measures would help eliminate at least $600 million in wasteful or unnecessary spending.
Minnesota’s seniors deserve better, and I am committed to stopping harmful budget cuts that threaten their care.
Happy National Agriculture Week!
This week, we celebrate National Agriculture Week, a time to honor the dedicated farmers who feed our nation and the world. Our community is home to so many incredible farm families, and I want to take this opportunity to recognize one of them.
During the Albert Lea Chamber of Commerce 2025 Agriculture Luncheon, Paul Rognes, a Glenville area farmer, and his family were named the 2025 Farm Family of the Year. They received this honor for their commitment to sustainable farming and conservation efforts. Thank you to the Rognes family for your leadership and dedication to Minnesota’s agricultural community!
Beyond celebrating our farm families, I also want to highlight an exciting agricultural proposal in our community. Austin is already home to The Hormel Institute, a world-renowned biomedical research center. Now, another groundbreaking project is taking shape in Mower County—the University of Minnesota’s Future of Advanced Agricultural Research in Minnesota (FAARM).
Recently, in the Senate Agriculture Committee, we heard an update from Dr. Brian Buhr of the University of Minnesota on the progress of the FAARM project. This state-of-the-art agricultural research complex would help farmers adapt to the challenges of the future by driving innovation. FAARM would focus its research on sustainable farming practices, soil health, and precision agriculture.
The U of M has already acquired over 1,300 acres for this project, and the support from our community has been overwhelming. Now, FAARM is seeking state funding to move forward with the next phase of project design. This investment would strengthen Minnesota’s role as a national leader in agricultural research and innovation.
With our community’s deep agricultural roots and commitment to progress, this is an exciting time for Minnesota agriculture. I look forward to continuing to support our farmers and transformative projects like FAARM in the years ahead.
Eichorn resigns from the Minnesota Senate
There is no question that Senator Eichorn’s charges merit his resignation. We owe it to the public to hold our members to the highest standards, and this is the right thing to do for his family and the Senate.
Sincerely,
Gene