Week of April 1st – 5th
Working together as One Minnesota
Governor Walz gave his State of the State address on Wednesday, and I could not be more impressed by what I heard. We have the opportunity to do so much good this year and serve as a model to the rest of the country, letting every other state know that divided government can still work. I am a strong believer in One Minnesota, and I am incredibly optimistic about the things we can achieve together. You can view more of my thoughts in the week’s video by clicking HERE.
Constituents and friends visit the capitol
A large group of constituents visited the capitol this week to discuss their opposition to data disaggregation in our education system. As I mentioned in last week’s video, this is a discussion older than our country, and both sides have excellent points to make.
Wednesday this week was Support the U Day at the capital. Former students of mine stopped by to talk about funding for higher education, including one of my interns, Kendall Johnson.
Two friends of mine who teach at Central Middle School in Eden Prairie visited the capitol this Thursday during their spring break. Lindsay and Doug Welch also brought their kids along, and I was thrilled to see them learning about civic engagement at such a young age. Their senator, Paul Anderson, joined us as well.
Committees begin wrapping up, floor session gets busier
As we near the legislative break, committees are meeting less and we are starting to take up more bills on the floor. I’m excited to get to spend more time in the chamber telling the pages some of my classic jokes.
Meeting a former US Senator
Former US Senator Rudy Boschwitz visited Eden Prairie Rotary’s weekly meeting on Tuesday. He talked about the power of magnanimity and generosity in strengthening our country.
Three bill hearings in one committee
This week I presented three bills in the Legacy Committee, which determines how funds are spent on our arts and cultural heritage. The first bill was the Historical Society’s funding proposal for community engagement, and I could not have been more proud to author this legislation.
The second bill was something very dear to my heart. A few months ago someone spoke at rotary about how we can provide our state’s youth with easily accessible telescopes to be rented from our local libraries. With the help of our district governor Irene Kelly, we have turned this idea into legislation. If passed, this bill would allow every library in the state to apply for a grant to allow young people to rent out easy-to-use telescopes. Let’s get these kids outside and instill in them a sense of wonder for the night sky.
The third bill I presented in Legacy Committee was something right up my alley: grants for improving our state’s civic education. Groups like YMCA Youth in Government and the Minnesota Youth Council do great work, and I am proud to be back advocating for these outstanding organizations.