Legislative Update
Good morning,
Today we are waking up to thunder and lightning and a bit of a cleansing thunderstorm in southern Minnesota. Of course, our forecast includes a very warm weekend to remind us how quickly the weather in Minnesota changes. Yes, it is summer in southern Minnesota and a great time to get out and enjoy our parks, trails, and festivals!
I’m wrapping up a busy week where Jeanne and I had the opportunity to visit with many of you and hope to see you this weekend.
Of you course we all continue to keep our thoughts and prayers focused on the Hortman family during their time of loss. In addition, we continue to pray for the swift and complete recovery of Minnesota Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
As we move forward, please continue to thank our law enforcement professionals who worked tirelessly over the weekend to apprehend the suspect and continue to work tirelessly to investigate these crimes.
Again, moving forward, I am excited to be able to get out in our community and participate in many of the great activities in our district and around Minnesota.
 (Left to right: Jeanne, me, Mary Stanley, and her daughter)
Straight River Days Parade
Friday evening, June 13th, Jeanne and I had the opportunity to participate in the Straight River Days parade in Medford, MN. The weather was definitely a little cooler than in past years, but the turnout was fantastic!
Saturday morning, before I knew about the early morning events involving my fellow legislators, I participated in a tour of one of our nation’s foremost laboratory focused on microgrid technology located right here at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and hosted by the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators and co-sponsored by the Conservative Energy Forum.
 The staff at the University of St. Thomas provided a very informative presentation on their work on microgrid technology which will help ensure continued high reliability of energy in our homes, offices, and public facilities while enabling less overproduction of electricity in the future. Further information can be found at https://engineering.stthomas.edu/centers/microgrid-research/.
Of course, the news of the horrific events unfolded throughout the day on Saturday, so we were encouraged to wrap up the conference early and return to our homes.
Unfortunately, we were not able to participate in the Janesville Hay Daze parade last Sunday, but I want to thank all our supporters who came out to participate in the parade for us. Don’t worry, we will be back next year!
As the week progressed, it was good to get back out in our community!
Thanks to our Owatonna City Council and Mayor Matt Jessop who always welcome me to their meetings and events.
Soy and Tech Day
In addition, I had the brief opportunity to attend Soy and Tech Day at Farmamerica before running over to Mankato for the annual Region 9 Development Commission tour. This year we had the opportunity to visit several locations in between rain drops including a working granite mine which will soon wrap-up production and be converted into a recreational area.
 If you look closely at the photo above, you will see mountain bicyclists riding along a proposed rock wall currently under construction. The proposed trail will extend for 16 miles throughout the mine. In addition, camping spots will be developed and more.
Vigil for the Hortmans
Later in the evening, Jeanne and I travel back up to the Capitol to attend a candlelight vigil for Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark as well as continue to pray for Minnesota Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce Growth Breakfast
To wrap up a bit of a lengthy newsletter, I wanted to highlight the opportunity to participate in Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce Growth Breakfast yesterday.
 (Left to right: Senator John Jasinski, me, Mr. Brian Cook from the MN Chamber of Commerce)
Mr. Cook provided a fantastic summary of the legislative events occurring during our most recent session with some ties back to the previous sessions for context. Then, Senator Jasinski and I had the opportunity to comment on the session outcomes and our plans for next year. I sincerely appreciate the support and information I receive from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Owatonna Area Chamber, and the Waseca Area Chamber.
Coffee with Tom
First, thank you for attending our Coffee with Tom sessions earlier this year!
Second, we are postponing a couple of our regular meetings due to some scheduling challenges.
June ??: We are coordinating our future meetings in Medford with Mayor Danny Thomas. Currently, I have a scheduling conflict on Friday morning, June 25th.
July 4th: Postponing our meeting at the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce due to the Independence Day holiday.
July 11th: Postponing our meeting at the Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce as I will be out of state attending an energy conference.
We will provide future updates soon as we iron out some scheduling details for August 2025 and beyond.
Thank you for your continued support!
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