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Dear friends and neighbors,
I hope you had a joyful Easter with family and friends. It was nice to have a true break before we head into the final sprint of debating the omnibus finance bills! This week and next, we will be debating the House versions of the bills, which will then go to Conference with the Senate, and then we will debate the “Conference bills” in the last week of session.
I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to West Hennepin Public Safety Police Chief Gary Kroells (below, left), who is retiring after 31 years of dedicated service. Chief Kroells has been a steady, trusted leader in our community, and he will be greatly missed. I am excited for Chief Kroells and his wife as they begin this next chapter, and I wish them all the best!
I am also happy to welcome our new Chief, Matt DuRose (below, right), who comes to us with great experience in Mankato! We look forward to your leadership in our community!
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Executive Summary
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Praying for the Victims of the Kashmir Terrorist Attack
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Vandalism, Video Evidence, and No Charges
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Misplaced Priorities Are Holding Up Critical Health Care Funding
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Fraud Committee Update
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Honoring the Life and Service of the Late Rep. Mary Murphy
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Photos
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Praying for the Victims of the Kashmir Terrorist Attack
On Tuesday, a horrific terrorist attack in the Kashmir region took the lives of 26 civilians and left many more injured. A statement issued in the name of The Resistance Front (TRF), which is believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack, which has caused great grief and concern in the Hindu community in our district.
In response to this tragedy, I released the following statement:
“I was deeply saddened to learn of yesterday’s terrorist attack in Kashmir that claimed the lives of innocent civilians. My heart goes out to the families affected by this horrific act of violence.
I also want to express my support for the Hindu community in our district and state who have also been deeply affected by this attack. Political violence is never acceptable – in Minnesota or anywhere in the world. I will continue to pray for everyone affected by this terrible act of terrorism.”
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Vandalism, Video Evidence, and No Charges
Last month, downtown Minneapolis was the site of a disturbing and deliberate act of vandalism. A suspect entered a private parking ramp and used keys and other objects to damage six Teslas, causing over $20,000 in damages. The incident was recorded on multiple surveillance cameras.
Minneapolis Police arrested the suspect, gathered video evidence, and recommended felony property damage charges. The case file was complete and clear. The suspect is a staff member in the Walz administration in the Dept. of Human Services.
Despite the strong evidence and police recommendation, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty chose not to prosecute. Her office made that decision even as law enforcement officers—from Minneapolis and across the state—expressed outrage.
As Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated:
“The Minneapolis Police Department did its job… Any frustration related to the charging decision should be directed solely at [Moriarty’s] office.”
Because Hennepin County Attorney Moriarity has repeatedly refused to prosecute violent crimes in our communities, I authored a bill last session and again, this session, HF 1188, that would address this situation. Under my bill, if a county attorney refuses to bring charges in felony cases, city prosecutors are empowered to step in and pursue justice.
We cannot allow political discretion to replace public safety. Law enforcement did their job. The Hennepin County Attorney should have done hers.
I released a statement calling on Hennepin County Attorney Moriarty to uphold the rule of law in Hennepin County and on Gov. Walz to terminate the state employee. You can also watch my video statement or interview on Fox 9.
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Misplaced Priorities Are Holding Up Critical Health Care Funding
At this point in session, nearly every major finance and policy bill has cleared its committee hurdles after intense negotiations between Republican and Democratic chairs. In a tied House, compromise is essential, meaning both sides walk away with wins and concessions. Most bills have moved forward under this new dynamic, but a few remain unresolved, including the Health omnibus bill.
The biggest sticking point is Democrats’ continued insistence that taxpayers give free health care to undocumented immigrants, even if it means cutting funding from other healthcare services Minnesotans depend on.
Since this new policy took effect in January, 17,396 undocumented immigrants have already enrolled in MinnesotaCare. That’s nearly three times the original estimate of 5,784 enrollees by 2026. If enrollment continues at this rate, it could triple the projected cost of the program, jumping from $220 million over four years to over $600 million.
The average cost per enrollee is $7,000 per year, and the current enrollment has already cost the state $107 million the current fiscal year, far exceeding original projections.
And this isn’t just about cost, it’s also about who is paying for it. Unlike Medicaid, Medicare, or nursing home care, which receive federal matching funds, this new expansion is funded 100% by Minnesota taxpayers. That means the state is absorbing the full burden while forgoing over $1 billion in potential federal matching dollars that could otherwise be used for services like nursing homes, disability waiver programs, emergency medical services, and home and community-based care.
This program to provide illegal immigrants with free healthcare at taxpayer expense is one of the most generous in the country, and will make Minnesota a magnet for more illegal immigrants seeking this benefit. We should not be cutting vital nursing home care, disability services and other programs for Minnesota citizens to pay for free healthcare for those who are not here legally.
Republicans are drawing a line. Minnesota citizens and taxpayers deserve policies that prioritize their needs, particularly when we are facing a $6 billion deficit. Until Democrats are willing to end funding for undocumented immigrants and put that money towards funding healthcare needs of Minnesota citizens, we cannot in good conscience advance this bill.
You can watch my video statement about this issue here.
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Because the Legislature was not in session for Easter Monday this week, the Fraud Committee did not meet. We will resume on Monday, April 28th, with what should be an interesting hearing with MN Attorney General Keith Ellison. We will be asking him questions about his department’s responsibilities to defend state agencies, oversee charities and businesses, and fight fraud.
Since most other Committees are wrapped up for the year, we will now be meeting from 9:00-10:45 a.m. in Capitol G3. The hearing will be live-streamed at HTV2.
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Honoring the Life and Service of the Late Rep. Mary Murphy
This week we honored the life and service of one of our colleagues, former Rep. Mary Murphy, who died last December. Mary was one of the longest-serving Members in state history and I was privileged to serve with her. I have many sweet memories of Mary, but one of my favorites is when she was Chair of the Bonding Committee when I was a freshman, representing the City of Rogers. My city needed a pedestrian bridge over I-94 as many kids were riding their bikes through a drainage pipe to get under the highway to get to school, which was very unsafe.
Mary did not have great health or mobility, but she doggedly went all around the state on the “bonding tour” to investigate each project. When she came to Rogers, I had arranged a stop for her to view the drainage pipe from the road so she wouldn’t have to walk down a steep incline to it. Completely undeterred by the terrain, Mary insisted on walking down from the road directly into the pipe to see exactly what the kids were dealing with. She asked several questions of our city engineers and ultimately ensured we were able to get the pedestrian crossing. Mary’s commitment to investigating projects thoroughly, despite personal hardship, and her determination to ensure needs were met across the state was an example I will never forget. She was a wealth of historic information about state polices and I frequently asked her about why certain policies were put in place when we sat across the aisle from each other on the floor. Mary is missed, but her legacy lives on! Rest in Peace, Rep. Murphy!
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Photos
 We all love when John DeCausmeaker comes to the House to sing the National Anthem! He is a State Treasure! Let’s go, Minnesota Wild!
 We love “Steak on a Stick” Day when the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association comes to the Capitol! It was fun to meet these young men who are an integral part of their family’s farm, showing their cattle at the state fair & growing alfalfa. Thankful for all of our amazing Ag families in MN!
 I was happy to have one of our amazing interns join me as my guest at the Governor’s State of the State address.
While I didn’t agree with many of Governor Tim Walz’s statements, I was glad to hear he now wants to join us in the fight against fraud and to reduce spending!
I hope the fact-checkers scrutinize his statement that “we all inherited” the budget deficit! The truth is that he squandered an $18 billion surplus, raised taxes $11 billion & increased the state budget 38% in two years. We have a $6 billion deficit because of his fiscal mismanagement.
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Please Contact Me
Many of you have already been in touch to discuss your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Please continue to contact me to discuss any matters to which I can be of assistance.
The best way to reach me is by email: rep.kristin.robbins@house.mn.gov. For occasional updates, you can follow my Facebook Page at @RepKristinRobbins. You can also leave a voicemail on my office number, 651-296-7806, which is checked every weekday while we are in session.
Of course, if you are coming to the Capitol, I’d love to meet you! Please reach out if you would like to set-up an in-person meeting.
Have a great weekend!
Kristin
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239 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.7806 |
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