Minnesota Senate Media Services
@mnsenatemedia·10.8K subscribers·6.8K videos
Election Protection / Shutting Down Scam PACs / A New Senator Shares His Priorities
Posted
April 17, 2026
Views
129
Likes
1
Engagement
0.78%
April 17, 2026
129
1
0.78%
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
Episode Timeline
Every episode in order around the one you’re watching — click any card and the page flips straight to it.
28:51Now PlayingAll 67 Minnesota Senate seats will be on the ballot this November, and in just one month, anyone hoping to fill one of them can file the paperwork to formally launch a campaign. The election may still be a ways away, but the work to prepare for and protect its integrity is already underway.
Senator Liz Boldon, DFL-Rochester, says it takes effort and vigilance to ensure election integrity and that all voices are heard. To that end, she's authored Senate File 4147, which aims to minimize the influence of dark money in Minnesota's elections. When money is spent to influence elections, but the donors or the source of that money isn't publicly known or disclosed, it's called dark money. Critics of the practice argue it allows wealthy individuals and corporations to secretly influence elections and policies. Boldon says her bill would stop corporations from outspending citizens and overwhelming their voices.
FULL INTERVIEWElection Protection | Senator Liz Boldon
Dark money isn't the only threat to the will of the voters. Scam political action committees, also called scam PACs, are on the rise. While these groups claim to raise money for candidates or causes, in reality, they are pocketing campaign donations for themselves. Senator Bonnie Westlin, DFL-Plymouth, hopes to ban scam PACs, and her bill, Senate File 1851, gives victims and attorneys the ability to file civil suits against scam PAC operators.
Meanwhile, more than a dozen Senators have already announced their plans to retire when the 2026 session ends. While those Senators may be saying goodbye, this session they were able to welcome to two new Senators - including Senator Michael Holmstrom, R‑Buffalo. He shares with Senate Spotlight's Veronica Marshall the path that led him to the Senate, and what he plans to accomplish during his time in office.
Senate Spotlight Episode 210
Visit SENATE.MN
☑️ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL
View Featured Videos
Senate Media Photo Gallery
Discover the Senate Media Video Archive
STAY CONNECTED:
►X (Twitter)
#mnsen #mnsenate #mnleg
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.
