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As we gather with loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of serving as your Representative. This year, I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to serve you and to work toward policies that strengthen our communities, uphold our values, and ensure a bright future for every Minnesotan. Your engagement, feedback, and trust mean everything to me, and I carry your voices with me in every decision I make.
 I remain committed to working hard on behalf of the people of Minnesota to strengthen our schools, support local businesses, and ensure everyone has a seat at the table. Together, we can continue to build a brighter future.
As you enjoy your Thanksgiving feast and cherish time with family and friends, I encourage you to reach out to those in need, whether it’s by lending a helping hand, sharing a meal, or simply offering a kind word.
From my family to yours, I wish you a joyful Thanksgiving filled with warmth, love, and gratitude. Thank you for allowing me to serve and represent you.
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Elections Update
With two recounts this year and the control of the House of Representatives in the balance for either of them our elections process has been under even higher scrutiny, and rightfully so. We need to ensure that every legally cast ballot is counted as well as holding those accoutable who have tried to illigally cast ballots that would influence these outcomes. As GOP Leader Representative Demuth pointed out in her post, the
amount of votes in the Shakopee race is so close that 21 ballots that have now gone missing would be enough to change the outcome of this race and completely shift control of the State House. I think it is completely unconscionable that the secretary of state would certify an election when there are any missing ballots, even more so when those ballots could be enough to completely change the balance of state government. There is a week allowed to file a challenge after the completion of Monday's recount so as Leader Demuth's post says, "Stay tuned".
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Looking Ahead to next Session
With the State House ending up in a 67-67 tie, which has only happened once before in our state's history, we will be negotiating nearly every aspect of the operations of the legislative body. When this happened in 1979, the two parties split the power by trading the speakership for control of the top three committees while retaining an equal number of majorities on every other committee.
This biennium will be a bit different. Our caucus has entered into a power-sharing agreement for the coming session with the DFL, ensuring each committee is evenly split 50-50 and led by rotating co-chairs from both parties. While the speakership remains undecided, I’m confident we’ll reach an agreement with the DFL that allows us to deliver meaningful results for Minnesotans. My priorities include addressing fraud, enhancing public safety, and improving education. I believe we can achieve these goals, even in a tied legislature.
With committees evenly divided, every bill reaching the floor will need bipartisan support, as most will pass through multiple evenly split committees first. This dynamic places our caucus in a strong position to block the most extreme parts of the DFL's agenda, hold them accountable, and deliver on the promises we’ve made to Minnesotans.
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/RepKristaKnudsen
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225 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
651.296.9918 |
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