State Representative Andy Smith

08/04/2026

Not surprisingly, protecting children from having AI-generated n**e images of them circulated on the internet was one of the most broadly bipartisan things we did this year in the Minnesota House.

Also not surprisingly, the richest man in the world is trying to overturn this rule and put profits over protecting children’s safety and dignity.

07/14/2026

The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Advisory for Rochester from Monday, July 13 through Thursday, July 16. In response, Rochester Public Transit (RPT) is activating the fare-free program “Cool Place to Be.”

During this time, people caught outside in the extreme heat can notify an RPT driver that they need to escape the heat and cool down, and no fare will be charged to board the bus.

Read the story on our website: https://www.rochestermn.gov/news/posts/rpt-offering-a-cool-place-to-be/

07/13/2026

Last week, the Minnesota Department of Human Services announced they had completed a review of nearly 5,600 Medicaid providers for 13 “high-risk” programs, resulting in disenrollment notices being sent to over 3,000 providers due to incomplete paperwork or failed verification. Only 59 of those disenrolled have been referred to the Department’s Inspector General for further investigation.

The state faced a May 31 deadline from the Trump administration to screen providers in an effort to address allegations of fraud targeting these programs and services. Minnesota was given only five months to complete this revalidation process, while other states were given up to two years.

Throughout the Department’s review, many providers report failing the revalidation process not because of evidence of fraud, but instead because of paperwork errors and misunderstandings. This has left many providers in limbo, unsure of when they might have their appeal processed. Roughly only 2,000 of the 5,600 providers are able to continue services without interruption.

Read my and my District 25 colleagues' statement below:

05/21/2026

05/08/2026

Another mic drop moment from State Representative Kim Hicks

05/05/2026

Minnesota is one of the best states to raise a family, and Senate DFLers are working to make sure that building and raising a family is affordable and accessible for everyone. For families who experience infertility, lack of insurance coverage means having to take on a second job, seek care outside of the U.S., and delay building their family. Last week, I hosted a roundtable conversation with people who’ve experienced infertility as well as some healthcare providers who treat people with infertility. I’m proud to be a co-author on the MN Building Families Act, a bill to require health insurance companies to cover treatment of infertility, and am grateful it’s included in our Health & Human Services bill.

04/29/2026

But I thought cutting property taxes is a priority of theirs! Guess not.

04/29/2026

State Representative Andy Smith and I think it's woolly exciting when Three Rivers Park District brings lambs to the State Capitol!

04/15/2026

“The Audacity of Taupe,” Tax Committee

04/15/2026

The Rochester School Board asked us to help make this change, and we delivered.

It’s unfair that a candidate in one alley could lose with more votes than a winning candidate in another alley. It encourages people to ‘choose an opponent’ to run against rather than choose our kids to run for.

Glad to help pass this important change for our kids.

The change would eliminate the numbered seats and make it a pure at-large system.