Catherine and Hunter Muklebust joined others in testifying at the State Capitol before the House Children, Families and Finance Policy Committee on Tuesday to lobby for the passage of legislation requiring cameras in Minnesota daycares as a means to prevent child abuse.

Catherine Muklebust gave a tearful account of Sept. 22, 2025, when she was called to the Rocking Horse Ranch in Savage just hours after her son had been dropped off for daycare services, and he was reported to be unresponsive.

Harvey Muklebust, days shy of his first birthday, was rushed to an area hospital where he died. After months of investigation by the Savage Police Department and the Scott County Attorney’s office, an 18-year-old employee of the daycare center, Theah Loudemia Russell, admitted suffocating the child. On the day the young boy died and the previous Friday, Russell reportedly attempted to do the same to a four-month-old girl who was also being cared for at the daycare center, but survived both suffocation attempts.

Rep. Nolan West (R-Blaine), the proposal’s sponsor, is pushing for the installation of cameras in infant and toddler rooms, with footage retained for a minimum of 28 days, at all Minnesota daycare centers that receive state funding. The issue was also proposed during last year’s legislative session, but resulted in cameras only being mandated at daycare facilities that have known maltreatment violations.

“I received a phone call that no parent should ever receive,” Catherine Muklebust said. “I raced to the daycare. I hate reliving that day.”

When she arrived, Harvey was not breathing and she was ushered into a room as medical personnel were attempting to revive him. She said she was told “you don’t want to see this.” She called Hunter, who was on a job assignment elsewhere in the country, relayed what she knew about their son’s condition, and told him to catch the first plane home.

“We have to soothe our three-year-old son to sleep every night as he cries asking for his best friend to come home,” Hunter Muklebust said. “Cameras create accountability and provide evidence. They allow for immediate action to protect children. Harvey’s death was completely preventable. There were not one but two warning signs before our son was taken from us.”

Julie Muklebust, Hunter’s mother, relayed the grief she experienced in having to tell her son when he arrived at the hospital that Harvey had died. She also read into the record a letter of support for cameras to be required that was written by the parents of the young girl who survived the two suffocation attempts while being cared for at the daycare center.

The bill is personal for West. He removed his daughter from a Blaine daycare center last year after two employees faced criminal child abuse charges. He said the proposed bill has bipartisan support and would not require camera feeds to be accessible to parents whose children are being cared for at a center, and only designated staff members and public safety personnel would have access to saved camera footage.

Opponents to the proposal cite costs and labor that would be involved to install, program and manage cameras and recordings. Cyber security issues and the potential for what is filmed to be hacked and distributed to unintended sources were also listed as potential objections to the proposal.

No official action was taken at Tuesday’s hearing.