A Minnesota state lawmaker carried legislation backed by an environmental lobbyist group the same year he was employed by the group, according to public records.
Rep. Alex Falconer (DFLEden Prairie) was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November of 2024. He won his district, which includes parts of Minnetonka and Eden Prairie, by 20 points. Falconer’s district, House District 49A, is considered a safe DFL seat.
Under state law, candidates for the Minnesota Legislature are required to file an economic interest statement (EIS) with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board. An EIS discloses the candidate’s employer, income, securities, property ownership, and other items.
As a candidate for office, Falconer filed an EIS on June 4, 2024, which disclosed that he was employed by Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness (NMW) as a “Campaign Manager.”
NMW is a nonprofit environmental advocacy group which lobbies for the protection of the Boundary Waters and other outdoor spaces. The group’s most recent tax filing shows it raised $1.5 million in fiscal year 2024 and spent over $950,000 on salaries.
Falconer was also a registered lobbyist for NMW while a candidate for House.
On March 3, 2024, Falconer filed paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board to become a registered lobbyist representing NMW. He terminated his lobbyist registration on Dec. 31, 2024 - Falconer took office as a DFL state legislator the next month.
When Falconer took office in January 2025, the Minnesota Legislature’s website described his occupation as “nonprofit manager.” That description is still there today.
On Jan. 27, 2026, Falconer filed a new economic interest statement which described his occupation as “senior advisor” to NMW. The Campaign Finance Board told Alpha News the EIS retrospectively covers 2025. That EIS notes that he or his wife received income from the environmental group during 2025.
Falconer’s EIS also says he is the owner of two properties — one in Goodhue County and another in Lake County on Farm Lake adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Hennepin County records show that Falconer and his wife have owned an Eden Prairie home since 2013.
Falconer carried legislation backed by Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness During the 2025 legislative session, Falconer introduced bills that would provide funding for managing invasive aquatic species, prohibit lead in fishing tackle and hunting ammunition, and create a grant program for outdoor education for older adults.
However, the first bill Falconer introduced was HF 309, a bill modifying mining restrictions currently in place in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
HF 309 is supported by Save the Boundary Waters, a coalition of environmental groups that is led by NMW. Falconer, DFL Sen. Steve Cwodzinski, and Save the Boundary Waters held a press conference in February of 2025 to highlight the bill.
Additionally, NMW’s 2024 annual report touted Falconer’s bill, saying, “We work closely with pro-Wilderness lawmakers in St. Paul and advocate for the ‘Boundary Waters Permanent Protection Bill,’ which was most recently introduced by Rep. Alex Falconer.”
Falconer also authored legislation that would protect wild rice and “recognize the inherent right of uncultivated wild rice to exist and thrive in Minnesota.” NMW signed a letter which expressed “strong support” for Falconer’s bill and its Senate counterpart.
In the 2026 legislative session, Falconer extracted pieces from his 2025 wild rice legislation and introduced those provisions as four separate bills in identical or modified forms. NMW signed a letter which called on the Minnesota Legislature to pass all four bills.
Falconer and NMW did not answer questions for this story In addition to his NMW work and legislative career, Falconer is currently listed as a federal government relations manager for Save the Boundary Waters. Falconer’s EIS does not include any mention of his role at Save the Boundary Waters.
Alpha News contacted Falconer, NMW, and Save the Boundary Waters for this story.
Among other things, the trio were asked if they believe the situation represents a conflict of interest. The group was also asked about Falconer’s current responsibilities with NMW and Save the Boundary Waters. None of the three entities responded to media inquiries.
However, an auto-reply message received from Falconer’s Save the Boundary Waters email address said, “I am out of the Save the Boundary Waters office while I serve in the Minnesota State Legislature.”
“For anything (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) related to federal policy, please get in touch with (staffer),” added the message. “With anything related to state policy, please get in touch with (staffer). For everything else, I’ll respond as I’m able.”
