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Dear Neighbors,
It’s hard to believe March is upon us. In these uncertain and challenging times, being rooted in and connected with community is more crucial than ever. When we support and listen to each other, we can build resilience with a shared sense of hope. More light with each day is encouraging.
Being an elected official isn't about the titles or the meetings, it's about the people. And honestly, the best part of this job is hearing your stories, like Danielle's from our district. We had a conversation recently to talk about why mental health care access is so critical for Minnesotans.
These conversations remind me why I'm here and inspire me to work harder every day. Thank you for sharing your stories with me.
To date, I’ve introduced 24 bills in the Minnesota House, all ranging from more providing education benefits for the children of disabled veterans, making more infrastructure improvements to Thompson Park, to investing in research to help explain sudden unexplained death in infants, and more.
Just today my bipartisan bill to extend counseling and guidance services to home-schooled elementary aged children received a hearing in the Education Finance Committee. Glad to be with co-author State Representative María Isa Pérez-Vega and a big thank you to the advocates who testified!
 No bill can pass the House without 68 votes, and I'm working with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to earn bipartisan support on the legislation I'm authoring.
 I was honored to tour with my colleagues and learn more about the Minnesota Veterans Treatment Courts, which are problem-solving courts for veterans who are struggling with addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders. The courts help veterans recover, stabilize, and promote sobriety.
You can find a comprehensive list of the legislation I’m authoring here.
Federal Funding Freezes Impacting our Community
Another thing DFLers and some Republican legislators have found common ground on is concern over cuts to Medicare and Medicaid by the Trump administration. A small handful of state Republican legislators sent a letter to their congressional counterparts urging them to stand up against these cuts, as they’ll hurt people who rely on these services in all corners of the state. I hope this show of support for public health means they’ll join us this session in strengthening health care and services for people with disabilities, the elderly, sick, and poor- our most vulnerable and marginalized communities - rather than cutting it as some have proposed.
Last week, my colleagues highlighted the “five-alarm fire” caused by federal funding freezes to Minnesota domestic violence groups, including those serving our community.
If you’re being impacted by any of these federal actions taken related to essential care and services, please contact me directly.
Constituent Meetings
Meeting with constituents is the best part of this work; hearing what’s on your mind, where you’re experiencing challenges, or what you’re seeing your neighbors struggling with. We’re all in this together, and amplifying your stories at the Capitol helps drive positive change for our community. Please feel free to contact me anytime at rep.mary.frances.clardy@house.mn.gov if you’d like to set up a meeting in St. Paul. If it’s easier to connect in the district, I’m happy to meet there too. Here’s a look at who I was fortunate enough to meet recently:
Students ought to have a say in what they'd like to see in their classrooms; a strong, well-rounded academic curriculum, mental health resources, and reading tools, like the bill I'm working on to help students improve their reading skills. Glad to have had the chance to tour two charter schools recently with Representative Bianca Virnig and State Representative Kristin Bahner to get a better understanding of the services provided and how we can help at the state.
I recently had the opportunity to meet a few of the Head Start heroes from our area to learn about the education, health, nutrition, and other socio-developmental services they're providing for our neighbors; and how they could be impacted by proposed federal cuts announced recently.
Everyone deserves a chance to succeed and build a healthy, stable life for themselves and their children. Head Start has existed since 1965, and I'll always support what they do to help our communities thrive. 💚
Always glad to meet with the amazing veterans from our community. Serving on the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee gives me the unique opportunity to hone in on issues facing our veterans and address the needs of our local military service women and men.
DID YOU KNOW? Minnesota is home to 220 school-based agricultural education programs taught by 340 teachers across the state. 45,000 students participate in these programs, found in urban, suburban, and rural school districts. With tariffs on Canada and Mexico in effect, continuing state investments in FFA ag programs like this will be important for local food production. Both Mexico and Canada are among the top three countries for Minnesota’s agricultural exports.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to keep in touch on the issues that matter most to you at rep.mary.frances.clardy@house.mn.gov. Due to technical constraints, direct replies to this email will not reach me. Always reach out to the email address above or give me a call at 651-296-3533 if you need help or my office can be of assistance.
Thank you for the honor of representing our West Saint Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, Lilydale, and Sunfish Lake neighbors at the State Capitol.
Forward,
Mary Frances Clardy
State Representative
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