September, 2018
[/one_halfRinging in the New School Year
This is one of the most special times of the year: school getting back underway. Some students will just be starting for the first time, many will begin a year of meeting new faces and and making new friends, and some will be soaking up their last year of high school as they get ready to take on the world.
If you are a parent, educator, support professional, or any other staff person that makes it possible for our children to learn, thank you for the work that you do.
Most importantly however, if you are a student reading this, know that this is a time of your life that’s full of possibilities. A simple chance meeting or a spark of inspiration can change the rest of your life for the better, in ways that you cannot imagine.
You can view more of my thoughts in a video by clicking HERE.
Reuniting at the State Capitol
Marilee Rozowski, longtime friend of mine, visited the capitol last week. It had been years since we had seen each other, and reuniting at the capitol was the perfect mix of old and new: reminiscing and catching up on each others’ lives, touring the historic state capitol and sharing the our hopes for the future of the state.
I also got to reunite with a former student, Steve Yi after 30 years of being apart. He brought along another former student, as well as his kids. We had a wonderful time touring the capitol, and I can already tell that those kids will be exhibiting the same sense of civic virtue as their father.
Touring the new Optum Experience Center
Several of my fellow legislators and I recently went on a tour of the New Optum Experience Center in Eden Prairie. It was a thoroughly educational experience, learning about new innovations in healthcare technology.
Another Wonderful Year of The State Fair
I was thrilled to spend multiple days of this year’s State Fair in the education building at the Senate Information booth. Listening to what is on peoples’ minds is one of my favorite parts of the job, and there are few better opportunities for this than being at the fair. To make one of my days even better, I ran into a former student of mine. Joe Lenczewski is a legislative assistant in the House, and was also there to represent his respective chamber at the fair.
I also got the chance to talk with Capitol Report, and answer some of their questions. That video can be found by clicking HERE. My segments are shown at 3:42, 8:11, 11:46, and 15:53.
Celebrating America’s Newest Citizens
Last week I had the remarkable opportunity to welcome over 900 newly naturalized citizens into our great country at St Paul’s Rivercentre. A news story on this event, along with a short excerpt of my speech, can be viewed by clicking HERE.
After the ceremony I met Rasa Bagdonaite, a woman who immigrated from Lithuania just like my grandmother did 100 years ago to seek a better life. Seeing so much enthusiasm for the chance to participate in our democracy was yet another reminder that we cannot ever take what we have for granted.
My grandson Elliott is already taking that lesson to heart, and is absolutely astounded by how Minnesota’s constitution so eloquently enumerates the responsibilities of state government.