Veronica Marshall

06/15/2026

Calling all artists!

If your art tells Minnesota stories, apply to have it featured in the State Capitol's third floor exhibit gallery. But you'd better hurry - today is the last day to apply!

Find more details about the program and how to apply here:
https://www.mnhs.org/caeac-call-for-proposals

06/11/2026

Senator Foung Hawj says this is the culmination of two years of work - and it's only the start!

The next phase of the DNR's Electronic Licensing System (ELS) modernization project will introduce electronic registration for recreational vehicles and watercraft, along with watercraft titling.

Learn more about the ELS here:
https://engage.dnr.state.mn.us/new-electronic-license-system

06/11/2026

Session is over, but the work is not - and summer happens to be Old Man River's busy season. Whether you like to fish, paddle, or float on the Father of Waters, it takes effort to keep the Great River great - and some of that work is happening today.

Starting at 10 AM, Senator Karin Housley and the rest of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission's (MRPC) Executive Team meet to discuss the latest efforts to protect and promote the Big Muddy.

Watch the meeting live or stream it here later:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bceR49_E-d0

06/03/2026

The lineup is SET!

The filing period for Senate candidates is now closed, so what you see is what you get on the Secretary of State's candidate filing page.

For instance, if you live in District 50 (which includes parts of Bloomington and Edina), there are 5 candidates to choose from, while residents in District 43 (New Hope, Robbinsdale, and Golden Valley) will only have one candidate on the ballot.

Candidate names are added during the filing period for federal, state and county offices.This filing period is Tuesday, May 19 through Tuesday, June 2.

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