Looking forward to covering state legislature in 2025

I like to think my career in journalism has been a bit unique.
In 2015, I began my (unpaid) career as an intern for the Boston Herald, and my college, where I was able to cover the New Hampshire Primary and the numerous events that came with the first primary in the country.
It brought me to places like Cleveland for the Republican National Convention, to Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention, and everywhere in between.
When Donald Trump raised his right hand and swore to uphold the Constitution becoming the 45th President, I was there covering it from the National Mall.
A few short months later, after the cold day in January, I found myself graduating from college and landed a job in St. James, a small town in southern Minnesota.
There, this city boy had a lot of firsts: my first time kissing a cow, my first county fair, my first Dairy Queen Blizzard. I even met a woman from Mankato, who I would marry years later.
Most eye opening to me was covering very small communities like Butterfield, a community so small, the press had its own assigned seats at the council meetings…right next to the mayor.
You could say I was shocked, at the least.
I thought I’d seen it all, but on Tuesday, I found myself covering the opening day for the legislative session. Given my geographical location, it felt like a perfect opportunity to cover the historic day. A chance to see up close the area’s new and veteran legislators raise their right hands and affirm to uphold the Constitution, similar to what I witnessed eight years previously in Washington D.C.
The day was historic, to say the least. I am an arbiter of truth and won’t opine on what is taking place. I am writing this on Wednesday morning, so who knows what will take place this next week.
With all that said, there are going to be very important issues discussed in St. Paul this session. EMS, school funding, infrastructure, and a whole host of issues will likely be discussed, debated, and voted on this session.
As I mentioned, my geographical location will allow me to better serve our readers because unlike the vast majority of newspapers in Greater Minnesota, I will have the opportunity to cover stories up here that matter to the community.
Take last year for example: I didn’t begin at the paper until right before the end of the session but was able to cover a rally focusing on Treatment Court, where local residents not only are part of it, but one was a featured speaker.
This would be something we would never be able to cover before, in person.
Last year, I was also able to interview, at her office, Hayfield native Christina Bogojevic, who became the chief of the Minnesota State Patrol.
While I am up here covering things in person, we have a team of reporters, and volunteer photographers covering things locally in person.
We have reporters on the ground everyday working tirelessly, covering school concerts, ribbon cuttings, and everything in between. Just because I am not physically in person covering stories every day doesn’t mean I care any less about the truth, or about what is happening in the communities. Southern Minnesota is where I got my start, where I cut my teeth, including for this paper, when I was 22 years old.
Unfortunately, some feel if you aren’t in person, it somehow makes you less of a reporter.
While I respect the opinion, I disagree with the assessment. There are certainly some advantages of doing a story in person, but the reality is most newspapers don’t have reporters who live in town.
I worked for a chain of six papers previous to this one. When it closed, only the publisher (who grew up there) lived in town. We had 10 reporters across six papers.
Is it a perfect set up? Maybe not. But I think you will find we are going to have robust coverage of what’s happening in St. Paul, which will have an impact on local communities.
Each year, there are a host of days at the capitol for different professions and interest groups — think educators, EMS professionals etc. — to hold rallies and speak to legislators.
While up here, I will have the opportunity to see what is being discussed, cover rallies, and discuss with our local leaders what they think should be done, and how local legislators will address the issues.
I care deeply about Greater Minnesota. I met my wife there, adopted my dog, my in-laws live there, as well as lifelong friends I’ve made, and when I was 22 years old, instead of looking for an opportunity somewhere bigger, I chose to continue to live in southern Minnesota.
Life happens though, and right before being laid off, my wife and I bought our own home. Unlike when I was 22 years old, I can’t just pick up and move for a job. My wife and I bought our home with the expectation we would raise our future family here.
While I respect those who may be mad about where I rest my head every night, I hope those who have complained can also channel that energy into helping to provide me with story ideas.
For the first time in potentially ever, this paper will have a reporter who can cover stories in St. Paul regularly, so I hope you will send me questions about issues important to you so I can ask your elected officials to answer them.