Dear Neighbors,
I hope you all enjoyed your summer. We can be grateful for our rich outdoor heritage and the many events which allow us to gather as a community. One such event was the inaugural Northern Lights Lacrosse Festival, a youth tournament to support teen mental health. The players, organizers, and volunteers of this event dedicated their efforts to turning a tragedy into something positive for the community. Channel 5 aired a story prior to the event. I was honored to have been invited to serve as an honorary starter for one of the games.
In the next week, I’ll be available to discuss issues important to the community at two upcoming events. First, on Sunday, September 15, I’ll be joining my colleague Rep. Kelly Morrison of Deephaven for a Neighborhood Gathering from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at 19625 Chimo West Street, right on Lake Minnetonka. It will be an informal conversation about legislative topics, and snacks and beverages will be provided. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to bradshinkle@gmail.com.
Then on Tuesday, September 17, Sen. Steve Cwodzinski, Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn and I will host a Back to School Town Hall Meeting at Eden Prairie High School in the South Commons from 7 – 8:30 p.m. During my time in the Legislature, our responsibility to ensure all students can experience an excellent education is one of the issues I hear about from constituents the most. Our Town Hall will focus on this issue, though conversation about any other topic is certainly welcome. I hope you can join us! Feel free to RSVP on Facebook here.
As we transition to fall, I hope the students and educators in our community all have a great school year. In Minnesota, we value a world-class education, and I’m proud of the investments lawmakers and Governor Walz made this legislative session to help ensure all students – from cradle to career – have the opportunity to achieve and succeed. There is clearly more to do, but our investments will help avoid teacher layoffs, closures, program cuts and larger class sizes. We also protected pre-K for 4,000 early learners, and addressed a shortfall in special education funding.
Please continue to reach out with any input, ideas, or feedback. I value hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate to call or email me any time. It’s an honor to represent you at the State Capitol.
Sincerely,
Laurie Pryor
State Representative