Video & Transcript Research : 'Mankato'
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MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Veterans and Military Affairs Division 4/15/26
Veterans and Military Affairs Division
Transcript Highlights:
- Um, they have satellite locations in Mankato, Rochester.
- Um, they have satellite locations in Mankato, Rochester.
- Um, they have satellite locations in Mankato, Rochester.
- Um, they have satellite locations in Mankato, Rochester.
- Um, they have satellite locations in Mankato, Rochester.
Keywords:
veterans, veterans affairs, mental health, behavioral health, rural health, rural areas, access to care, task force, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, general fund appropriation, veteran suicide prevention, PTSD, service members, military families, telehealth, rural psychiatry, high school diploma, armed forces, education policy, military service
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Housing committee OKs HF1987, the 'Minnesota Starter Home Act' 3/11/25
Transcript Highlights:
- Yes, I'm Susan Ars, and I currently serve as the city manager for the city of Mankato, and I'm here testifying
- It's our number one priority in Mankato.
- We are home to the second-largest state university in Minnesota, and as a result, Mankato has worked
- The purpose of the amendment is in reference to a testifier we had from Mankato, who was talking about
- He said the purpose of the amendment was in reference to a testifier from Mankato who was talking about
Summary:
The committee heard House File 1987, the Minnesota Starter Home Act, and first adopted the A1 author’s amendment, which made minor cleanup changes, removed sections two and three, adjusted ADU language, and tweaked density language. The bill authors described the measure as a bipartisan effort to address Minnesota’s housing shortage by allowing more starter homes, duplexes, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units, while also limiting some local zoning barriers and preserving city protections in certain sensitive areas. They emphasized that the state has a large housing gap, rising home prices, and that the bill is intended as one part of a broader housing package.
Supportive testimony came from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Housing First Minnesota, Habitat for Humanity, AARP Minnesota, and Americans for Prosperity. These witnesses argued that workforce and starter-home shortages are hurting families, employers, and economic growth; that restrictive zoning and lengthy approval processes raise costs; and that more middle housing and ADUs would expand options for older adults, caregivers, working families, and people seeking homeownership. Several supporters said the bill would reduce regulatory barriers, lower development costs, and help communities add needed housing supply.
Opposition or cautionary testimony came from city and municipal representatives, including officials from Cambridge, Eagan, and Mankato, as well as the League of Minnesota Cities and related groups. They argued that local governments already are approving substantial housing growth and need flexibility to manage zoning, parking, infrastructure, stormwater, and community input. They warned the bill could weaken local control, remove practical standards, and create unintended impacts such as more rental conversion in some neighborhoods or development without adequate infrastructure. No final vote on the bill itself was shown in the transcript beyond adoption of the A1 amendment.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate - 04/13/26
Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate
Transcript Highlights:
- To the good Senator from Mankato, Deb Berglin from Missouri—um, the name... Thank you very much.
- 53.600>
from <00:25:54.440>um to the good Senator from um to the good Senator from um Mankato - , Mankato, Mankato, Deb<00:25:57.040>
Berglin <00:25:57.480>from <00:25:57.920>Missouri
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Cloud, Mankato Transit, Rochester Transit, and MTC uh La Crosse La Crescent.
- Cloud, Mankato Transit, Rochester Transit, and MTC uh La Crosse La Crescent.
- Cloud, Mankato Transit, Rochester Transit, and MTC uh La Crosse La Crescent.
- Mankato Transit, Rochester Transit, and MTC uh La Crosse La Crescent.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate - 04/08/26
Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate
Transcript Highlights:
- First of all, the community of North Mankato, where I live, had a data center on the drawing board, got
- And while I sympathize with my brothers and sisters in North Mankato and Becker, and while I wait to
- And, um, while I sympathize with my brothers and sisters in North Mankato and Becker, and while I wait
- , of all, the community of North Mankato, of all, the community of North Mankato, where<01:08:36.600
- <01:09:44.279>
and <01:09:44.480>Becker, and sisters in North Mankato and Becker, and
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee 4/2/25
Transportation Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- So from Fairmont, where the crude soybean oil is processed, and then to Mankato, where the unrefined
- So from Fairmont, where the crude soybean oil is processed, and then to Mankato, where the unrefined
- The crude soybean oil is processed in Fairmont and then moved to Mankato, where the unrefined oil is
- So in the 50-mile segment between Fairmont and Mankato, there is no viable rail option. Okay.
- There is an available line that is active between Fairmont and Mankato, and I know both facilities have
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 2/26/26
Higher Education Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Cloud, Mankato, Moorhead, Bemidji, Marshall, and Winona, the presence of enforcement activities, even
- I'm a sophomore at Minnesota State Mankato.
- serve as the co-chair of our Legislative Affairs Committee, which is a branch of Minnesota State Mankato
- Mankato had already proven itself a target with the months-long detention of our student Mohamed Hawk
- To defend higher education and the educational resources of greater Mankato, we have to ensure our students
Summary:
The committee adopted the minutes from its February 24, 2026 meeting after a motion by Vice Chair Coulter. The hearing then focused on the impact of federal immigration enforcement, referred to throughout as Operation Metro Surge, on Minnesota college campuses. The chair said the purpose was to document alleged abuses, campus fear, and racial discrimination, and to hear from testifiers about effects on students, faculty, and staff. Representative Novotny briefly objected to the framing, saying the committee should be finding facts rather than making a predetermined presentation, and the chair responded that members should remain respectful and that questions would be held until after all presenters testified.
Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow described what he called relentless and unprecedented disruption, including student stops and interrogations, family separations, and an ICE operation on campus in which armed masked agents allegedly detained a student without a warrant and pointed weapons at students and staff. He said the campus received bomb threats afterward, increased virtual learning options, and saw spikes in student support needs, housing assistance, and leaves of absence. Jenna Chernega of the Inter Faculty Organization said faculty across Minnesota State universities reported widespread student and colleague stress, increased workload, disappearing students, and a need for clearer sensitive-location protections and academic freedom guidance. Mark Grant of Minnesota State College Faculty said community conditions inevitably affect classrooms, that campuses have not yet had an ICE incident but are bracing for one, and that faculty want to support students and may need financial help if enrollment declines.
Jennifer Irwin of AFSCME said fear from ICE activity extends beyond campus boundaries and is affecting attendance, work, and daily life for staff and students; she cited a member detained in St. Paul while trying to prove legal status. Student testifiers Brendan Frazier of Concordia University, St. Paul, Jonathan Fitzgerald of Minnesota State Mankato, Sudi Adow of Lead MN, and Will Luther of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities described panic, reduced attendance, food insecurity, disrupted classes, and fear of leaving home or commuting to campus. They urged stronger student privacy protections, support for international and immigrant students, emergency aid, and policies to keep campuses safe. No further committee action or votes were taken after the minutes approval.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Public Safety Committee Meeting - 2025-03-28
Public Safety Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- It's a $68 million project to create a regional office and a laboratory in Mankato.
- city, and then we would basically double the size of our facility there to mirror the size of the Mankato
- This is a rendering; it's a fairly accurate rendering of the Mankato facility because, as I noted, it's
Bills:
HF2432
Keywords:
HF2432, judiciary finance bill, public safety finance bill, corrections policy, crime victims, victim services, Minnesota victims of crime account, court fees, marriage license fee, financial crimes, fraud investigations, insurance fraud, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Commerce Fraud Bureau, wage theft, automobile theft prevention, nonprofit security grants, 911 funding, POST Board
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- At Minnesota State University, Mankato, on Thursday, January 15th, reports of plainclothes agents going
- , at Minnesota State University, Mankato, at Minnesota State University, Mankato, on<01:01:02.440
- <01:02:08.520>
At <01:02:08.760>the <01:02:08.840>Mankato of enrollment growth - At the Mankato of enrollment growth.
- At the Mankato State<01:02:09.800>
Office <01:02:10.320>for <01:02:10.680>Student
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee 3/13/25
Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- I serve as Executive Vice President at Greater Mankato Growth.
- We're the chamber of commerce and economic development organization serving the Greater Mankato area,
- I want to thank you for the opportunity to testify today, especially in front of our Greater Mankato
- I serve as Executive Vice President at Greater Mankato Growth.
- We're the chamber of commerce and economic development organization serving the Greater Mankato area,
Bills:
HF1976
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Lowering Energy Costs Through Innovation / Improving Housing Affordability and Fraud Protections May 29th, 2026
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So, if you're going to come to the city of North Mankato and increase the property tax $20 million a
- So, if you're going to come to the city of North Mankato and increase the property tax $20 million a
- So, if you're going to come to the city of North Mankato and increase the property tax $20 million a
Summary:
The program focused first on Minnesota’s energy and affordability agenda, with Senator Nick Frentz discussing the state’s clean-energy leadership, rising electricity demand, and the Senate’s 100% clean energy framework. He said Minnesota’s clean energy growth supports jobs, lowers costs for ratepayers, and includes recent wins such as sustainable aviation fuel tax treatment in the supplemental budget. Frentz also said the Senate passed an energy omnibus bill that continues clean-energy permitting reforms, promotes conservation and demand response, and includes a nuclear study rather than lifting the nuclear moratorium.
Frentz spent much of the interview defending data centers as both a challenge and an opportunity. He said large hyperscale projects can create major construction jobs and substantial local property-tax revenue, while a 2025 law requires data-center companies to contribute to low-income energy assistance and report water use. He pointed to the Google data center planned for Pine Island as an example, saying it is air-cooled, will pay $5 million a year, and will fund 1,600 MW of clean energy at its own expense, which he argued could save Xcel ratepayers money over time. He also said climate change is already driving higher costs through homeowners insurance and storm damage.
The second segment highlighted Senator Zach Duckworth’s housing and banking bills. Duckworth said Senate File 4168 would make it easier to finance investment properties by giving buyers more flexibility to roll closing costs and lender fees into payments, while keeping strong protections in place for primary residences. He emphasized that the bill is not about predatory lending and is intended to expand options for informed investors. He also described Senate File 4652 as an anti-fraud, no-cost measure that lets bank customers name a trusted contact so banks can alert someone if suspicious activity is detected. Duckworth said both bills passed unanimously in both chambers, and he credited quick action and good working relationships across the aisle for their success.
The program closed with a broader reflection on the end of session and the Senate’s political climate. It noted that 15 senators are retiring and two are leaving for higher office, and that final floor votes often split along party lines, including one bill passing 34-33. Several retiring senators used farewell speeches to urge civility, compromise, and putting people first, while the segment emphasized that despite partisan conflict, quiet bipartisan cooperation still produced much of the session’s enacted legislation.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- I’m a proud graduate of Minnesota State Mankato, as Trustee Erinson mentioned.
- I’m a proud graduate of Minnesota State Mankato, as Trustee Erinson mentioned.
- I live in Maple Grove, Minnesota, and grew up on a family farm just south of Mankato.
- I'm an alum of Minnesota State University, Mankato, before being appointed as a trustee in 2022.
- I live in Maple Grove, Minnesota, and grew up on a family farm just south of Mankato.
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Housing Finance and Policy Committee 3/11/25
Housing Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Yes, I'm Susan Arens, and I currently serve as the city manager for the City of Mankato, and I'm here
- It's our number one priority in Mankato.
- We are home to the second-largest state university in Minnesota, and as a result, Mankato has worked
- corporate conversions of those units and is critical to preserving affordable owner-occupied housing in Mankato
- We are home to the second-largest state university in Minnesota, and as a result, Mankato has worked
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Health and Human Services - 02/26/25
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- They're often times in Greater Minnesota communities like mine and the surrounding Mankato area.
- They're often times in Greater Minnesota communities like mine and the surrounding Mankato area.
- They're often times in Greater Minnesota communities like mine and the surrounding Mankato area.
- They're often times in Greater Minnesota communities like mine and the surrounding Mankato area.
- They're often times in Greater Minnesota communities like mine and the surrounding Mankato area.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate - 03/02/26
Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate
Transcript Highlights:
- Um she's a physician, and I think there'd be a number of people in the Mankato community who would be
- /c><00:01:41.280>
people <00:01:41.560>in <00:01:41.640>the <00:01:41.680>Mankato - be a number of people in the Mankato be a number of people in the Mankato community community community
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- He resides in Mankato and is currently working in Vienna, Austria, and cannot be with us today, and I
- He resides in Mankato and is currently working in Vienna, Austria, and cannot be with us today, and I
- He resides in Mankato and is currently working in Vienna, Austria, and cannot be with us today, and I
- Jorgenson resides in Mankato and is currently working in Vienna, Austria, and cannot be with us today
Summary:
The committee first approved the prior day’s minutes, then heard Senate File 255, which would exempt American Legion and VFW buildings from property tax. The bill’s author and the American Legion Department of Minnesota testified that many posts are struggling financially, that the tax burden can threaten building ownership, and that the posts provide important community services such as charitable gambling support, youth sports, food insecurity assistance, suicide prevention training, and meeting space for veterans and local residents. Several members voiced support, and the bill was laid over for possible inclusion.
The committee then took up Senate File 30, a proposal to allow Minnesota estate tax portability for married couples, so a deceased spouse’s unused $3 million exclusion could transfer to the surviving spouse, similar to federal law. The author said Minnesota is an outlier compared with other estate-tax states and that the bill would simplify planning and reduce tax burdens, especially for family farms and other illiquid assets. A CPA and a Minnesota Farm Bureau representative testified that the order of death should not determine tax liability and that portability would help keep family farms intact. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion.
Next, the committee adopted an A1 amendment to Senate File 211 and heard the bill, which would create a Minnesota subtraction for Foreign Service pension income, treating it more like military pension income. The author said the change would cover a small number of retirees and would have a minimal fiscal impact, while the testifier described Foreign Service work and said the benefit would recognize their service. The bill, as amended, was laid over for possible inclusion.
Finally, the committee heard Senate File 132, which would revise property tax language related to electric power systems by replacing references to attachments and impertinences with broader system-based language. The author said the bill would clarify tax treatment for power co-ops, restore the original intent of the law, and provide stability for Greater Minnesota, with an estimated property tax shift of a little over $700,000. Testimony was beginning when the transcript ended, and no vote on the bill was recorded in the excerpt.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 4/3/25
Higher Education Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Cloud State I know is very involved in higher education leadership, um, as well as Mankato, and obviously
- Cloud State I know is very involved in higher education leadership, um, as well as Mankato, and obviously
- Cloud State I know is very involved in higher education leadership, um, as well as Mankato, and obviously
- Cloud State I know is very involved in higher education leadership, um, as well as Mankato, and obviously
- I know is very involved in higher education leadership, um, as well as Mankato and obviously Moorhead
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee 2/13/25 - Part 1
Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Next up we have Andy Wilkey from Greater Mankato Growth.
- I serve as the Executive Vice President of Greater Mankato Growth, the regional chamber of commerce and
- Greater Mankato is a vibrant and growing Greater Minnesota metro hub with a large trade area.
- More soybeans are processed in Mankato than in any other city in North America. trade area we attract
- For example, a simple equipment replacement at a manufacturer in Mankato took more than a year to approve
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Cloud, Winona, Mankato, and Moorhead.
- Cloud, Winona, Mankato, and Moorhead.
- Cloud, Winona, Mankato, and Moorhead.
Bills:
HF2438
Keywords:
transportation finance, transportation policy, MnDOT, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, Metropolitan Council, highway funding, trunk highway fund, county state-aid highway fund, municipal state-aid street fund, state aid roads, local roads, bridge funding, road construction, transit funding, passenger rail, freight rail, aviation, airport development, safe routes to school
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development - Subcommittee on Veterans - 02/10/25
Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development - Subcommittee on Veterans
Transcript Highlights:
- on the Lake are all from the west central part of the state, and then one gentleman came up from Mankato
- on the Lake are all from the west central part of the state, and then one gentleman came up from Mankato
- on the Lake are all from the west central part of the state, and then one gentleman came up from Mankato
- on the Lake are all from the west central part of the state, and then one gentleman came up from Mankato
- on the Lake are all from the west central part of the state, and then one gentleman came up from Mankato