Judy has chief-authored over 30 bills which has been passed into law during her first term in the Minnesota Senate! Here are some of the highlights:
Amara’s Law – SF 834
Amara’s Law was passed in 2023 and contains the strictest bans on intentionally-added PFAS in consumer products in the nation. It not only bans the addition of PFAS to things like cookware, dental floss, cosmetics, and children’s products, it put reporting requirements in place so consumers know what they’re buying. Due to her work on this bill, Judy received international attention. She was interviewed for a Japanese documentary on her work to fight PFAS in Minnesota, and was visited by an Australian Member of Parliament to learn more about her work. Judy also testified before legislative committees in Massachusetts and New South Wales, Australia, regarding her work on Amara’s Law.
Fighting Fentanyl Package – SF 2659, SF 1687
Judy has been a crusader for keeping our communities safe from fentanyl. We have seen this deadly poison devastate our communities and, after hearing the heartbreaking stories of constituents lost to fentanyl poisoning, Judy decided enough was enough. In 2023 she enacted a law increasing the penalty for distributing fentanyl to the same level as heroin, recognizing the incredible danger of this drug. And in 2025, she enacted a law allowing high school students to self-carry the life-saving drug, naloxone, on school grounds. Judy is committed to continuing to fight for legislation to keep fentanyl out of neighborhoods, homes, schools, and communities.
Eligibility Expansion for Public Safety Officer Survivor Benefits – SF 1989, SF 4667
Judy recognized that families of our public safety partners were often struggling to obtain Line-of-Duty-Death Benefits that were due to them. Judy made this process easier by passing legislation in 2023 that recognized PTSD as a line of duty benefit for police, fire, and EMS, and in 2026 passing legislation recognizing death from certain cancers, as well as COVID, as presumed line-of-duty deaths.
Payday Lending – SF 1635
Judy cracked down on predatory payday lenders, capping the interest they are allowed to charge at 36%. Before, these loans often caught folks in a debt trap, causing borrowers to take out one loan after another just to meet the obligations of the prior loans. The average borrower had a staggering 9 payday loans, and paid interest exceeding 400%! Judy was able to put these predators out of business in Minnesota and save consumers hundreds of thousands of dollars!
Wage Theft Enforcement Provisions – SF 1988
In 2023, during her first year in office, Judy took on the pervasive issue of wage theft and enacted a law to protect workers and to hold general contractors accountable. Up until this time, general contractors often turned a blind eye to the questionable employment practices of their subs, and allowed wage theft to run rampant in the construction industry. Judy cracked down on this practice and held general contractors responsible if their subs engaged in wage theft. Since the enactment of this law, we have seen a dramatic decrease in reported wage theft, and it has held everyone to a higher standard when it comes to hiring practices in the construction industry!
Forever Green SF 1220
Forever Green is an initiative of the University of Minnesota to develop sustainable and economically viable cover crops to help improve soil and water health. Farmers know how important cover crops are to maintain soil health and integrity, but they traditionally have not been viable economic options. Forever Green is changing that with the development of perennial, winter annual, and native woody crops such as Kernza, winter camelina, pennycress, and winter durum. Judy has authored legislation year after year to support the Forever Green program and ensure that sustainable farming is also economically sound.
Increasing Penalty for Assault of a Firefighter or EMS Worker – SF 1329
As a paramedic, Judy knows that EMS workers are increasingly being assaulted and injured by violent behavior on the job. After a harrowing attack on HCMC paramedics in 2025, Judy authored the bill to increase the penalty for assaulting a firefighter or EMS worker. When our frontline first responders are out every day keeping us safe, Judy is proud to have their backs at the Capitol.
Supporting Mental Health in the Construction Industry – SF 2744
Supporting mental heath is a priority for Judy. But she also knows that in some industries, it’s not always OK to speak up when you’re not OK. Judy is working to change that. She enacted a law in 2025 providing support, funding, and resources for the construction industry to allow workers to speak up and be connected with immediate help when they needed. Modeled after laws passed in the fire service, this law focuses on changing the culture of mental health in the construction industry as much as providing resources. Judy’s law is an important step in ensuring the mental health of all Minnesotans is supported no matter what industry you’re in.
Abandoned Boats – SF 2735
Judy was contacted by a constituent with concerns of an abandoned boat which had been polluting the beautiful St. Croix River for months. Judy rolled up her sleeves and worked with the Mayor of Hudson, WI, and WI State Representative Shannon Zimmerman’s office to develop a bill to combat this pervasive problem. Did you know that folks routinely abandon boats not just in waterways, but in State Parks and along state highways? These boats are expensive to get rid of and agencies often did not have the resources to do so. Judy’s bill authorized the DNR to not only remove these environmental hazards, but to assess the costs of removal back against the owner!