In preparation for Senator Grant Hauschild’s town hall meeting in Grand Marais on the 21st, volunteers set up a podium and 75 folding chairs in the YMCA gym. All the chairs were filled well before the noon kickoff, so ten more were added. Attendance continued to grow, and by the time the Senator arrived, more than 150 people were in attendance.
Without fanfare, Senator Hauschild (DFL Dist 3) strode into the gym, ready to begin the public forum shortly after noon.
Dressed for a Cook County audience in blue jeans, boots, and a powder blue open-collar dress shirt with sleeves rolled up, the Senator engaged quickly with the audience. He proudly made clear his affiliation with the Civility Caucus in the legislature, a bipartisan group that works together to arrive at solutions for the people of Minnesota. Hauschild said this was the third town hall he’d held this session and hoped for a respectful dialogue in Grand Marais. Not only was the 90-minute gathering respectful, but the politician listened more than he talked.
Questions and comments covered many issues, from pending legislation called the “End-of-Life Option
Act” to a bill to restore a portion of seasonal property taxes from the general fund to local schools. A significant portion of the discussion centered on the BWCAW, the future of copper/nickel mining, disruption of the forest service, and Cleveland Cliffs’ planned layoff of 600 mine workers.
Fears were expressed about the chilling effect of tariff disputes between the USA and Canada, which are now causing a significant decrease in Canadian visitors. Much of District 3 borders Canada, from International Falls to Grand Potage. Hauschild reported that at recent meetings he’s held in the border city of International Falls, he heard that border crossings by Canadians are down 20%. The economic consequences on the tourism industry will be enormous.
Hauschild was elected in 2022 to replace the retiring Senator Tom Bakk.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and public administration from the University of North Dakota and a Master of Science in public policy analysis from George Washington University.
From 2011 to 2014, he served as an economic development specialist and confidential assistant in the United States Department of Agriculture. He then worked in U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s (D-ND) office.
In Heitkamp’s office, he was a Legislative Aide and correspondence Manager. He received, re-viewed, and prioritized email and written correspondence to convey to the Senator what issues were front of mind for the people of North Dakota. From that experience, he answered the question of one town hall attendee hoping to know the most effective way for disgruntled Americans to push back against current federal excesses.
Hauschild pointed out that effective action is to write an individualized letter or email that includes a personal story of how government action or inaction impacts your life. Phone calls and postcards get recorded on a simple for/against tally, but individual stories have an impact.
The Grand Marais town hall helped emphasize this point when local small business owner Mark Spinler rose to thank Hauschild for his help with the DNR. Mark and Melinda Spinler have tapped maple trees on state land adjacent to their farm under a permit from the DNR to produce maple syrup. Last year, the DNR implemented rule changes that would kill the Spinler operation. Hauschild made it clear that the voice of the people of Cook County, and he heard from many, compelled him to take action. The Spinlers have a reprieve this year, and Hauschild is working on legislation that will grant them, and others similarly situated permanent relief.
Hauschild moved to Minnesota in 2019 to work for the Essentia Health Foundation. The married father of two young children served on the city council of Hermantown, MN, until his election to the Minnesota Senate.
