Dear Neighbors, 

As 2025 comes to a close, I wanted to wrap-up the past month of events, preview some of the work we have to do in next year’s legislative session, and highlight some recent actions we’re taking to build a better Minnesota for everyone. 

This week, I had a great time meeting with students from the Minnetonka Schools Vantage Program on the Minnesota House Floor, where we also got to enjoy music from a youth orchestra concert in the Capitol rotunda.  

This week, our nation has been once again confronted with the stark reality of gun violence following a school shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island. In Minnesota, conversations are underway at the State Capitol about gun violence prevention legislation to respond to the voices of the parents, families, and community at Annunciation School and Church. 

This week, Governor Walz signed two executive orders relating to gun violence prevention. The first creates a statewide safety council to examine and help reduce the effects of gun violence. The second will track the cost of gun violence and add funding to educate gun owners on safe storage and extreme risk protection orders. 

I want to check in with you and our community about what can be done in the 2026 Legislative Session to address gun violence in our state. You can fill out my survey on gun violence prevention here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Acomb-GVP.

Thank you for taking the time to make your voice heard on this important issue. 

The U.S. is the only developed country in the world that doesn’t guarantee some form of paid leave, forcing most workers to make impossible choices between a paycheck and caring for a new child, an aging parent, or their own serious health condition. But in Minnesota, that’s about to change with the launch of Paid Leave on January 1, 2026. As we prepare for Paid Leave to take effect, I want to share the basics of the new law, how it impacts you, and how to use it next month. 

Paid Leave – which DFLers in the Legislature and Governor Walz passed in 2023 – provides partial wage replacement for up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave for your own serious health condition, including pregnancy and recovery. It also provides up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a new child or a seriously ill loved one. You can watch a short video explaining how the program works here. 

The program will have a small cost but offer powerful benefits. The premium rate for 2026 will be 0.88%, with employers responsible for at least half. If the employer chooses to split the premium with the employee, each will pay 0.44%. For an employee earning the average annual income, this amounts to about $5 per week each for the worker and the employer. Paid Leave will level the playing field for small businesses that have wanted to offer this benefit but haven’t been able to do so sustainably. 

DEED has developed helpful toolkits with resources for workers and businesses alike. The toolkit for workers can help you find out if you’re eligible for coverage, when Paid Leave can be used, how much time you can take, how you’ll be compensated, and more. The toolkit for businesses includes information about upcoming public engagement events, premium rates and contributions, equivalent plans for Paid Leave, and other FAQs.  

This program has truly been years in the making, and I’m so excited for families in our community and throughout Minnesota to finally have peace of mind. As we get closer to the program’s rollout, I encourage you to check out all the resources available at pl.mn.gov.