The Ely area’s representatives in St. Paul are collecting honors from various groups for their work during this year’s legislative session.
State Rep. Roger Skraba (R-Ely) has been lauded by both the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and Housing First Minnesota, while the League of Minnesota Cities honored State Sen. Grant Hauschild (D-Hermantown).
Skraba gained the CGMC’s Legislator of Distinction award.
The former Ely mayor and second-term lawmaker won the award for his support for Greater Minnesota economic development priorities and his advocacy for Local Government Aid and tax increment finance policies that will aid rural communities.
“I am honored to have been given this award, and I am looking forward to continuing to support Greater Minnesota and show others why we love and call Greater Minnesota home,” said Skraba.
Skraba received the award at a CGMC event in Bemidji last month.
Meanwhile, Housing First Minnesota has recognized 24 members of the Minnesota Legislature with the 2025 Housing Leadership Award, honoring their efforts to advance housing affordability and expand homeownership opportunities during the 2025 legislative session.
Skraba was among the award winners.
For the second year in a row, housing supply, land use, and zoning reform were front and center at the Minnesota State Capitol.
I n M arch, a b ipartisan coalition of lawmakers introduced the Yes to Homes agenda—an ambitious effort to address the state’s worsening housing crisis by promoting the construction of more homes at all types and price points.
“Minnesota is currently more than 100,000 housing units short of what’s considered a healthy market,” said Mark Foster, Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs at Housing First Minnesota. “The legislation introduced and advanced this session aimed to close that gap by allowing for a greater diversity of housing options. Many of these lawmakers worked tirelessly throughout the session to support policy changes that will strengthen Minnesota’s housing market.”
While none of the Yes to Homes agenda was ultimately signed into law, Foster emphasized the importance of continued action.
The League of Minnesota Cities has recognized 28 state lawmakers, including Hauschild, as 2025 Legislators of Distinction.
Chosen legislators are honored for specific actions that aided efforts of Minnesota cities during the past year’s state legislative session.
Legislators of Distinction are approved annually by the organization’s board of directors in recognition of the collaboration of state and city officials needed to successfully serve shared communities and meet the unique needs of rural, urban, and suburban residents across Minnesota.
To be eligible for the award, legislators must achieve one or more of the following criteria:
• Be generally and reasonably accessible to League representatives;
• Seek input on issues of importance to cities;
• Listen to League concerns and be receptive to League-provided information on issues;
• Sponsor and/or support League initiatives;
• Speak out on behalf of the interests of cities;
• Demonstrate the importance of partnership between the state and cities.
According to an LMC news release, Hauschild used his position on the Senate Tax Committee to ensure city needs were addressed and he supported efforts to craft workable legislative solutions to numerous issues. He strongly advocated against reductions in local government aid and consistently made himself available to League staff.
