Hauschild meets Tower, Soudan officials to discuss upcoming legislative session

State Sen. Grant Hauschild met with officials from Tower and Soudan on Feb. 10 to discuss the upcoming legislative session and hear the city’s concerns, the Timberjay reported. The visit was part of a northern-mayors tour that included Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes, the Timberjay excerpt said.

Local leaders in Tower and Soudan sought direct engagement with their district senator as lawmakers prepare for a new session that will determine funding allocations and regulatory priorities affecting small cities. The Timberjay item did not list the names of the local officials who attended or spell out the specific issues discussed; it reported only that the meetings were intended to “discuss the upcoming legislative session and hear concerns from the city.”

The Tower and Soudan visits fit into a broader pattern of district outreach by Hauschild. WTIP reported last year that “In recent weeks, Senator Grant Hauschild has traveled across Senate District 3 to host public town halls and meet with local governmental officials.” WTIP described a March 21, 2025 stop in Grand Marais where Hauschild met with Cook County officials and hosted a community town hall with Rep. Roger Skraba. WTIP listed named Cook County participants including Assessor Bob Thompson, Emergency Management Director Mike Keyport, Soil and Water Conservation District Manager Ilena Hansel, North Shore Health CEO Kimber Wraalstad, ISD 166 Superintendent Chris Lindholm, and Grand Marais Mayor Tracy Benson.

WTIP’s March 2025 coverage emphasized policy concerns likely to resonate across northeastern St. Louis County: emergency management funding, property tax classification, mental health state funding shifts, and local infrastructure such as the wastewater treatment facility. WTIP also noted several bill numbers that were on the radar: SF542, HF1912, and SF1861. WTIP framed those meetings as opportunities for Hauschild to “provide an update on the Minnesota Legislature and to hear directly from his constituents about the issues they are concerned about.”

For Tower and Soudan residents, the immediate questions are which local priorities were raised in the Feb. 10 meetings and what follow-up action will result. Funding for emergency services, local infrastructure projects, and shifts in mental health funding have direct budgetary implications for city services and school districts. House and Senate bill activity and federal funding uncertainty cited at prior meetings can affect timelines for projects and grant eligibility.

Reporters will seek the full Timberjay article and statements from Sen. Grant Hauschild’s office and Tower and Soudan city officials to identify meeting attendees, capture any commitments made, and clarify whether issues raised mirror those listed in the WTIP coverage. For residents who want to share input, WTIP’s listener line is available: “Record a message or share a story on the WTIP Listener Comment Line: 218-353-1033.”

What comes next is accountability: residents should watch for follow-up from Hauschild’s office on any pledges from the northern-mayors tour and monitor the progress of SF542, HF1912, and SF1861 as the legislative session advances.