Representative from Stearns delivers farewell address, highlights pension work and School Trust Lands gains

The representative from Stearns delivered a farewell address on the House floor, saying he was "probably the most unlikely candidate to be here in the Minnesota House of Representatives" and reflecting on 16 years in the Legislature and his early days as mayor of Sartell.

He credited his family for shaping his public service. "My dad was the police chief in the town that I grew up in," the representative said, describing how watching his father respond to crises convinced him to pursue public service and to "helping those who can't help themselves." He recounted a 1991 incident in which his father was called to a mental-health crisis and said that memory reinforced his commitment to serving people in crisis.

The lawmaker highlighted his work on education funding and pensions. He recounted collaborating on a 2012 measure related to School Trust Lands and said that work contributed to increasing the fund's resources for Minnesota students. He also noted that pension cuts enacted in 2018 have been partially restored in recent years, calling the restorations an important priority for those who serve the state.

On chamber leadership and bipartisanship, the representative said events following June 14 led to shifts that put him and a colleague into shared co-chair roles on the Commerce committee. "We made it work," he said, describing three simple rules for collaboration: bring ideas, be honest about feasibility, and communicate.

Throughout his remarks he emphasized relationships and mentoring staff. He thanked colleagues and staff repeatedly, saying he had tried to build people up to "that next level" as they left for other roles.

He closed with a reflection on public service and history, paraphrasing Gen. Douglas MacArthur: "Legislators never die. They just fade away," and concluded, "Thank you. God bless you. God bless this country."