I was the chief author of Minnesota’s bipartisan Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill in 2025, now Chapter 30 of state law. It fully funded the new state veterans homes in Preston, Bemidji, and Montevideo; expanded Meals on Wheels for veterans beyond the metro; and funded County Veterans Service Officer positions focused on suicide prevention, women veterans, and justice-involved veterans.

The 2026 capital investment bill added $17.2 million to fully remodel Building 16 at the Minneapolis Veterans Home, which houses up to fifty residents, and $15 million to preserve veterans homes and cemeteries across the state.

Veterans in greater Minnesota shouldn’t have to move to the metro to get care.