Rep. Katie Jones represents Minnesota House District 61A, which includes most of the Hill & Lake Press distribution area. Elected in 2024, she served her first term during the 2025 legislative session and lives in the Wedge.
As we begin a new year, it is a natural moment to reflect on how far we have come and where we are headed.
I am grateful to have worked with so many of you over the past year. We have truly needed one another, particularly as our community experienced deep harm from gun violence.
Former Speaker Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark, and Annunciation Church shooting victims Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski were taken from us. These losses weigh heavily on our community.
Even in these difficult times, it has been an honor to represent House District 61A.
I valued the work of the 2025 legislative session and was proud to help protect major policies we hold dear. Despite a tied Minnesota House that limited the policy progress many of us hoped for, I am pleased that we successfully passed a state budget.
At the same time, actions by the federal government added complexity and urgency to our work, including cuts to programs supporting medical and scientific research and Medicaid.
“This coming session, I am in this with you to build a more just, resilient and thriving Minnesota.”
Federal immigration enforcement activity has also caused fear and disruption in local communities.
In response, Minnesotans have organized to protect one another, the Minneapolis legislative delegation has worked with government partners to share accurate information and identify ways to keep residents safe and economically secure, and state leaders across all branches of government have taken a coordinated approach to respond, including ongoing legal efforts to restore funding and protect Minnesotans’ rights.
Meanwhile, rising costs continue to strain working families.
Changes at the federal level ended Affordable Care Act tax credits that helped lower private health insurance costs, and their loss is expected to drive premium increases.
“We cannot give in to despair. Minnesotans are determined and resilient and must continue to look ahead.”
Many families are already struggling with the cost of food, energy, child care and housing. In the upcoming session and beyond, the state must take a hard look at how to fill gaps in critical services so basic needs are met.
Despite these challenges, we cannot give in to despair. Minnesotans are determined and resilient and must continue to look ahead. We are entering the year with a major bright spot.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, Minnesotans will have access to paid family and medical leave, providing up to 12 weeks of medical leave and 12 weeks to bond with a new child or care for a loved one, with a maximum of 20 weeks total.
Locally, the completion of Hennepin Avenue construction and the launch of the E Line bus rapid transit mark welcome milestones.
While construction was challenging for businesses, funding from the state’s Promise Act helped support beloved establishments such as Queermunity and Bobby Bead.
Building on those lessons, I secured a pilot program to create grant funding for small businesses along reconstruction corridors, planting the seeds for a long term effort so neighborhoods are not forced to choose between infrastructure improvements and local business survival.
Sen. Scott Dibble and I also secured continued funding for Bridge for Youth, which provides inclusive shelter and services to young people experiencing homelessness. Ensuring safe housing and support for our most vulnerable neighbors remains a priority.
I was also proud to partner with the Lower Sioux Indian Community and a women-led architecture team to allow natural materials in the building code, an important step for climate resilience and local industries.
For generations, Minnesota has been built on a simple promise: If you work hard, you can build a good life here.
That promise depends on leaders willing to invest in working families, ensure a fair playing field and create an accountable and accessible government.
In the coming session this February, I will be working on gun violence prevention, Downtown and Uptown revitalization and expanding housing and transportation options, among other priorities.
I am in this with you to build a more just, resilient and thriving Minnesota where everyone can live a good life.
