Tag: Steve Cwodzinski

April 3, 2020

State of the State Being Delivered on Sunday

Sunday will be a big historic moment, as Governor Walz issues his State of the State address. It will be only the second time it has been delivered from the residence, as it is typically delivered from the Capitol with all of the legislature in attendance. You will be able to watch the speech online by clicking HERE.

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Treating Everyone With Respect

As I mentioned last week, it is important that we all treat each other with respect during this difficult time. Our Asian American neighbors are feeling an increase in stigma and intolerance right now, and type of behavior will not keep us safer. It’s important to take a deep breath and remember that we are all doing our best. Continue reading “Sen. Steve Cwodzinski (SD48) Update: April 3, 2020”

March 27, 2020

Legislature Passes COVID-19 Emergency Relief Bill

Yesterday the Senate voted on an emergency economic relief bill to help everyone who is economically impacted by our response to COVID-19. Included in the bill is:

• Emergency childcare grants
• Food shelf aid and expansion of goods and services provided
• Emergency housing assistance
• Grants for emergency services
• Military veteran economic assistance
• Temporary expansion of driver and vehicle services

More details on the bill can be found HERE and HERE. There were a few things we could not reach a compromise on in time, such as ensuring pay for hourly school employees, funding community education, and ensuring that COVID is covered by worker’s compensation. We will likely be meeting again in the near future to take up another bill. Please let me know if you have any questions. Continue reading “Sen. Steve Cwodzinski (SD48) Update: March 27, 2020”

Week of March 2nd – 6th

Honoring our veterans

I presented my first bill of 2020 on Thursday morning, which would establish a special license plate for veterans who received an Air Medal. The idea was brought to Representative Laurie Pryor and I by our constituent, Jim O’Neill, who served in Vietnam and received two Air Medals. The bill was passed and sent to the Transportation Committee. Continue reading “Sen. Steve Cwodzinski (SD48) Update: March 6, 2020”

Week of February 24- 28

Former students finding careers in government

I recently got to meet with five of my former students: Joe Lenczewski, Eric Petersen, Laura (Helgen) Sparkman, Erik Anderson, and Alex Fox. They all now work in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

It does my heart good to see them here, making the world a better place

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Eden Prairie Library reopens

It was a pleasure to be at the grand re-opening of the Eden Prairie Library. Also in attendance was Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, Commissioner Jan Callison, Eden Prairie Mayor Ron Case, Commissioner Debbie Goettel, and Council Member Brad Aho.

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Hearing from students

On Monday I spent some time talking to students at Eden Prairie High School. Some of their big concerns were climate change, vaping, and higher education costs. Looking forward to seeing them change the world as they get older.

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Updating our state constitution

A friend and former legislative assistant, Kristin Trapp, recently visited the capitol to advocate for a bill she is working on, SF 522. The bill would change all instances of “he” or “him” in the state constitution to gender neutral pronouns.

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New Session, New interns

It has been a fun few weeks getting to know my new interns. Adrianna Erickson and Urji Abdalla (a former student) both have an exciting passion for government. They are both juniors in college and hope to pursue careers in politics after graduation.

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Eden Prairie Schools Gala

Last weekend, I attended the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools Gala. I watched a former colleague be awarded teacher of the year and celebrated the work of all of our educators and staff. This foundation is doing great work for our students.

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Voting against Voter ID

In the State Government and Elections Committee this week, we heard a bill on Voter ID, which would require some form of identification card in order for a Minnesotan to cast a ballot. After a spirited debate, I voted against it for three very important reasons. I recorded my weekly video on this subject. You can check it out by clicking HERE.

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Minnesota welcomes its newest citizens

The state capitol hosted a naturalization ceremony in the rotunda on Wednesday. Watching these events always reminds me of how wonderful our country is. While at the ceremony, I happened to reunite with two former students who were there to support their mom, who had just become a citizen.

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Meetings with constituents

Trisha Alexander, a former student, came in to lobby me this week for Hunger Solutions Day on the Hill. Great to see young adults exercising their civic duty.

A few constituents also came in for Be the Match day at the capitol, to try and make bone marrow transplants more accessible.

I also had the chance to talk with a student at the School of Environmental Studies who was here to learn about law and policy. She expressed wisdom beyond her years and I was happy to help with her research.

Two constituents also came in for private college day on the hill. Both attend Augsburg University, and represented the school wonderfully. One of their big issues was funding for the State Grant Program.

I ran into Annie Deanovic Schmidt, a former student of mine back in 2004, who was here for Kidney Donation day on the hill.

Week of February 17 – 21

New year. New bills being introduced.

We’re through the second week of session, and lots of interesting bills have been introduced as the intensity picks up. Some that I have introduced are:

• A bill to allow 17 year-olds to vote in a primary if they turn 18 before the general election.
• A bill to educate parents on screen use with young children, and help them understand how that can affect brain development.
• A bill to protect Minnesota birds from lead poisoning.

Continue reading “Sen. Steve Cwodzinski (SD48) Update: February 21, 2020”

Week of February 10th – 14th

Excited to be back

I could not be more thrilled to get back to work for the people of Minnesota. The interim between sessions was productive and informative, and I look forward to putting what I’ve learned to good use in the coming weeks and months. You can view my video on this subject by clicking HERE. Starting off strong on gun violence preventionAs Senators returned the to chamber on Tuesday, we were met by passionate gun violence prevention activists, including some from my district.The work these individuals are doing to save lives does my heart good, and I’m so grateful they took the time to come out and effect positive change. I am hopeful that we can get something done this session.Becoming a better legislator at the One Minnesota ConferenceOn Wednesday, the legislature held its annual One Minnesota Conference, a day full of workshops to help us to better serve our constituents. We talked about upcoming redistricting, negotiating strategies, and what we can do to make the end of session run more smoothly.Session is UnderwayThe capitol’s “electrolier” is only lit twice a year: the start of a new session and Statehood Day<The legislative session has once again begun, and I am thrilled to be back at the capitol advocating for the people of Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. As your state senator, I understand it is an awesome responsibility to be your voice as my colleagues and I work to craft laws that improve the lives of Minnesotans. Each and every senator here cares deeply about our state, and we have a lot of work to do.We have urgent policy issues that we must tackle. Insulin access and affordability, gun violence prevention, and the vaping epidemic are among the many things our legislative session will address. We also need to get a bonding bill done, to invest in public assets and infrastructure needs across the state. With tight legislative deadlines, this session will be done before we know it. There is no time to waste.As your state senator, I want to make sure I am doing my best to represent our community and advocate for the issues we all care about. One of the greatest joys of this job is the opportunity to learn from my constituents, and to have conversations about how we can make the world a better place. Our democracy depends on an engaged citizenry, and I look forward to hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me via my email at stevec@senate.mn, or to stop by my office at the capitol.If you cannot make it to St. Paul, I hope we can connect in the district. It’s an honor to work with my colleagues in the House, Representative Laurie Pryor and Representative Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, and the three of us will be hosting a town hall on Saturday, February 29, from 10 – 11:30am at Eden Prairie High School in the East Commons. Please bring us your questions, comments, and concerns. Every resident of Eden Prairie and Minnetonka deserves the opportunity to make their voice heard, so we can be better advocates for you in St. Paul.This is the final year of my first term as your state senator, and I am proud of the work that we have accomplished together. It is an honor and a privilege to be your state senator, and I look forward to hearing from you this year.