Week of February 4 through 8
Educating our kids about their finances
I was excited this week to present my bill on personal finance education. Financial literacy is a critical skill to have. Young people need to have an understanding of student debt, home ownership, and savings. The bill would require that all high school students take a course in personal finance, and I am hopeful that this will see widespread support.
I would like to thank Yonah Davis, Sally Adams, and Jason Kley for their testimonies in front of the E-12 finance and policy committee this week. They have given extremely helpful input in the creation of this bill. Educators, students, and the business community all support this legislation.
Tuesday was CPA day on the hill, and I got to meet with some constituents in this field. We ended up talking about the personal finance education bill, and I could not be happier to learn of their support as well.
A commissioner and a constituent
This week I met with the new Minnesota Pollution Control Agency commissioner, Laura Bishop, who also happens to be a constituent of mine. Laura is passionate about keeping Minnesota clean, inhabitable, and healthy for the generations to come.
Former students at the capitol
I met with former student, Becca Buse, this week. She recently finished her internship in Maryland and is interested in politics. I am glad that she stopped by and is getting involved in government.
I also got to catch up with Sandy Pulles, a former student who now has her PhD and is working in education policy. She came in on Wednesday to testify before the Senate Education Committee.
Visiting with Students at Eden Prairie High School
Earlier today I visited Eden Prairie High School during the lunch to talk with the students there. After a long conversation, I asked these three students if they were hungry and had to get back to lunch. They replied: “We’re hungry for a better government.” I couldn’t be more proud of them.
Appreciating our Nonpartisan Staff
I would like to thank all the nonpartisan staff that work at the capitol. Every day, we legislators rely on them to keep work in the capital flowing smoothly and keeping us informed. Through it all, we have a plethora of amazing individuals dedicated to helping us be better at our jobs. Pictured above is Betsy Haugen, one of the brilliant librarians at the Legislative Reference Library.
Another nonpartisan staffer here is Eric Olson, a former student who is now a committee page. I always love to see former students getting involved in government.
Additionaly, I met with the new high school pages in the MN House of Representatives. Every week, new students come to the capitol to learn about the legislative process. The program is run by Tom Holien, and I could not be more proud of the work he is doing.
Talking politics on the radio
This week also included a conversation with Brett Johnson on AM 950. We had a conversation on labor unions, hands-free driving legislation, marijuana, and the recent special election. I would like to thank Brett for inviting me back, it is truly a pleasure to speak with him on a variety of pressing topics. If you missed it, you can listen to our conversation here.
Celebrating the Indian-American community
I was given the opportunity to attend the annual Connect India event this past week. I was happy to meet with all of you who were able to attend.