Veronica Marshall

06/02/2026

“We want to give banking institutions, as well as folks who have accounts at banks, the ability to protect against fraud, really through the means of early detection,” said Senator Zach Duckworth.

He says his bill, Senate File 4652, is a common-sense anti-fraud measure. It allows banks to establish ‘trusted contact’ programs.

“If a bank were to see something that seemed to be potentially fraudulent and they try to contact the owner of that account and they weren’t able to get a hold of them - the bill allows the owner of that account to also name somebody else that can be contacted by the bank to then notify that person say, ‘We think that something might be happening with this account that you should be aware of.’”

06/01/2026

“We had a storm last year that cost $52 billion - one storm. And climate change is responsible for a lot of that. While we can debate what direction we're heading, it's pretty clear the planet's warming up, and the cost to us is not just dollars but lives,” says Senator Nick Frentz.

Saving cash, lives, and the environment all at the same time is what he calls a win-win-win.

“The framework in Minnesota is the 100% clean energy standard - so that's doing our share for the planet. We don't just want Minnesotans to pay less; we want climate change to slow down in the rest of the world. We're all in this together. Second of all, we promote renewable energy where it's cheaper. One of the features of the 2023 100% bill is that we don't pick a technology. We don't have to get to 100% carbon-free electricity using x percent of solar. So the omnibus bill this year continues on that path, including the nuclear study.”

05/28/2026

Why did the turtle cross the road?.. to get to new habitats and resources!

Ok, it's not much of a joke, but it's turtle nesting season here in Minnesota, so keep an eye out!

❓Did you know Minnesota has a state bee, a state muffin, and this year, we designated the toboggan as the official state sled - but no state reptile?

During the Senate's 80th Legislature, Senator Janet B. Johnson proposed designating the blanding's turtle as the official state reptile and the northern leopard frog as the state amphibian - but the bill never passed. But that's ok, if anyone knows about taking things slowly, it's turtles. 🐢

05/27/2026

This session, several of the Senate Republicans’ anti-fraud measures crossed the finish line – successfully moving from the Senate floor to the Governor’s desk and into law.

“People across the state have been talking about the issues with fraud and where their taxpayer dollars are going, and it was up to us to address those issues. I think we did that a big way here - not only with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) bill, but there were a number of bills that passed, and we used a lot of leverage in the minority to get a lot of those done at the very end of the session,” said Minority Leader Senator Mark Johnson.

And when the next session rolls around, he says it’ll take more than just leverage to pass legislation – it’ll require a new concentration on communication and collaboration.

“It's taken 4 years to get to this point where we have really good working relationships, so it's sad to see so many retirements here in the Senate… We're going to get a new group of people in this November. But again, it's a process of the institution to get folks in and build up those relationships and start building trust that we can work across the aisle again.”

05/26/2026

“We are responding to a moment in Minnesota. Minnesotans are really paying the price with their pocketbooks and with their sense of safety and security, and we knew we needed to move a powerful agenda. We did,” said Majority Leader Erin Murphy.

Despite the list of successes her caucus saw this session – like emergency rental assistance, stabilizing HCMC, and stronger consumer protections – Senator Murphy says there's room for improvement.

“In the last 8 to 10 years, we have relied way too much on a negotiation that happens in the cabinet room and not in the conference committees,” she continued. “Too much is happening behind closed doors, and I don’t like that. That’s broken.”

05/20/2026

Less condemnation; more collaboration. Join us live Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m. as Bill Doherty of Braver Angels Minnesota talks about efforts to bring red and blue people together to find common ground for the betterment of us all: https://us02web.zoom.us/s/87828061972

05/18/2026

The Senate Chamber is alive with applause, cheers, and heartfelt tributes as we honor our 15 retiring Senators. Hear their reflections on service and their hopes for the future:

Colleagues honor retiring members during a series of farewell speeches from the Senate floor. Members reflect on their time in office, key policy priorities,...

05/18/2026

That's all, folks!

The Senate has adjourned sine die - but what does that mean? According to Merriam-Webster, it means, 'without any further date being designated.'

But for the Senate - that's not exactly true. Senators are set to return to the Capitol for the start of the next session on Tuesday, January 12, 2027.

05/17/2026

🕚 Countdown mode officially activated: Senators only have hours left to complete their work this session.

Watch their progress here live starting at noon:

Agenda:Messages from the House:S.F. 2373 (McEwen/Putnam) Omnibus...

05/14/2026

Are you running for office? Mark your calendars, the Candidate Filing Period is less than a week away! Visit mnvotes.gov/candidates for more information on filing requirements.