Bidal Duran reviews session, what it means for Beltrami County

Beltrami County’s biggest unresolved session outcome is still the June 2025 storm bill: Rep. Bidal Duran authored HF 3530 to wipe out the usual 25% local cost-share and make the state cover eligible recovery costs in full. That matters in Bemidji and across the county because local leaders say the storm left about $2.5 million in repair bills hanging over county and city budgets.

Duran’s post-session check-in, released May 29 by Bemidji Now, came just days after the Minnesota Legislature closed its 2026 session on May 18. The timing puts his recap squarely in the middle of the questions Beltrami County voters are asking now: which state decisions will actually affect roads, public safety, school funding, local aid and health care access over the next six to 12 months, and which problems are still waiting for another round in St. Paul.

House District 2A covers all of Lake of the Woods County, most of Beltrami County and the northern portion of Clearwater County, giving Duran a district where state action can quickly ripple through small-city budgets and rural services. Duran, a Republican from Bemidji who was sworn into the House on January 14, 2025, serves on the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee, the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee and the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee. Those assignments put him close to issues that shape county services, emergency response and the workforce pipeline behind northern Minnesota’s hospitals, clinics and colleges.

The storm recovery fight is the clearest local test of his session. Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince testified that the June 21, 2025 storm brought 125 mph straight-line winds and left nine million trees down in the affected area. For Beltrami County, that was not a symbolic disaster. It became a financial one, with the city and county still facing a large bill if the state does not step in and cover more of the tab.

Duran’s review of what went well and what did not in the session is politically important because it gives voters a read on how he plans to defend his record heading into reelection. He announced in February 2026 that he would seek another term in the fall. For residents in Bemidji, Turtle River, Tenstrike and the rest of the district, the practical question now is whether St. Paul’s work produces relief on storm costs, steadier local finances and enough support to keep basic county services from getting squeezed before the next legislative session.