Hello neighbors, Some of the big talking points of this week are about education, so I would like to start out by congratulating our Lincoln Elementary School students for reaching their February reading goal! They got to celebrate their accomplishment with a glow party. Another congratulations to our Rippleside Elementary School students for their success on their "Dance for Hunger." They collected and donated over 13 bins of food to the local food shelf. Way to go, students and keep up the good work! Governor Walz recently released his proposed education budget, which includes over $200 million in cuts. Our students test scores across the state are below average in both math and reading, and we need to make positive changes for the betterment of our students. The way that our schools are operating right now is not serving our students well, but cutting funding is not the solution that our schools need right now. We have been working diligently on legislation that will actually address the challenges that our schools are facing, such as: HF6, HF29, and HF877, among others. I am committed to working on commonsense solutions to alleviate the burdens that our school districts are facing and create better, more supportive learning environments for our students. I have been working on several bills in the last few weeks here. One of my bills, which should soon have a bill number, would establish Aviation Day. This is important to me as a pilot and to our area based on the industry activity that we have. In our own Little Falls, we are hosting the Little Falls Takes Flight Airshow in 2027. One of my bills will sponsor this event, which will be great for our community. I have also been working on two bills for local infrastructure. HF910 provides funding for water and sewer infrastructure as well as for road maintenance in Flensburg.  Introducing HF910 for Flensburg to the Capital Investment Committee HF1835 provides funding for the wastewater treatment facility in Aitkin. These are necessary community projects that I am proud to fight for, and I look forward to updating you as these bills move.  Introducing HF1835 for Aitkin to the Tax Committee |