LETTER: Don't rely on AI for your lawmakers' stances

I'm thrilled to have my opinion published in the Sun Sailor on October 13, 2026. Here it is in full:

To the Editor:

Lawmakers’ talking points can lead AI into assumptions about their stances on a given issue. Their actual positions may surprise you.

In a recent Google search about Prove It First legislation, Google’s AI was confident that Rep. Larry Kraft supported Prove It First legislation. In fact, he does not. I have always found Rep. Kraft to be extremely responsive, so I highly recommend reaching out to him or his office directly with questions.

I updated the Google AI’s knowledge by sharing an email response from Rep. Kraft from July 21, 2025 that shows his actual position:

“I absolutely agree that protecting our water in Minnesota, and in particular our most precious water resources, like the Boundary Waters, is critical. To that end I am a co-author on HF309, (and was a co-author for the same bill last session too) that bans sulfide mining in the Boundary Waters and its watershed. This legislation would ban the Twin Metals mine. That said, I do not support the “Prove-It-First” legislation.” - Larry Kraft

He goes on to explain his position in detail. We need to preserve all Minnesota watersheds for future generations, and Rep. Kraft’s position, while well thought-out, falls short on this generational and environmental perspective.

AI often doesn’t go in-depth into a candidate’s beliefs and past votes. For example, you may believe Rep. Kraft would support public health initiatives. However, while serving on the City Council in St. Louis Park, Kraft was the one dissenting vote on banning sale of vaping products and e-cigarettes in SLP. “While he was concerned about the number of young people vaping, he felt the ordinance was an open-ended ban that got ahead of federal regulations.” (Star Tribune, Jan 7, 2020).

We deserve a lawmaker that will put environmental and community health ahead of federal regulations, especially now. Ask your lawmakers, not AI, the tough questions, and then challenge them on their answers. Lawmakers need to hear from you. I plan to vote for Rep. Kraft again this year, but I’ll be asking him some more questions first.

Sarah Steffen

St. Louis Park