Dear Friends,
What a busy week! During the summer, some legislative committees take tours across many parts of Minnesota to tour businesses, gather constituent feedback, and learn more about certain industries and issues impacting our state. This week we were lucky to host two different groups of legislators who came to Albert Lea.
On Tuesday, the House Agriculture Policy & Finance Committees visited the REG Biodiesel facility in Albert Lea to learn more about the work they do there and how biodiesel intersects with the agriculture industry. As a member of the Agriculture Finance Committee, I was able to attend other stops on the tour that included the Jenny-O plant in Faribault, and the Historic Hormel Home in Austin. These tours were very eye-opening and gave us a look at how many of these businesses operate behind-the-scenes and the training that is needed for the technical machinery for the employees who work there. You can read the story about our visit to REG in the Albert Lea Tribune by clicking here.
On Wednesday the House Capital Investment Committee came to Riverland Community College to tour the Trade and Industrial Education Center. MNSCU is seeking bonding funds to make the Albert Lea campus the center for Riverland's transportation, trade, and industrial education programs. Part of this project would include relocating the Truck Driving and Collision Repair programs from Austin to Albert Lea and integrating them with the Auto Service and Diesel programs. This project is estimated to save about $1.85 million in the long-run. It will help attract more students to these programs that train students for good-paying jobs in high-demand fields as well as benefit the economic health of our area by filling the workforce voids some of our local businesses are experiencing.
I had a chance to use a welding simulator and see the very hands-on learning that goes on at these programs. Thanks to Chair Paul Torkelson for helping to organize the trip and bringing the committee here to Albert Lea!
This week I also attended a board meeting of the Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services, as well as the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Albert Lea Housing and Redevelopment Agency. The agency was first started in 1965 and has helped provide affordable housing and other housing services here in our community for half a century.
I'm looking forward to some good food at the Alden and Blooming Prairie fire department fundraisers this Saturday and hope I'll have a chance to see a lot of you there. I'm wondering if they'll be able to surpass the delicious pork chops and sweet corn at the Clarks Grove Fire Department this past weekend!
Have a great weekend,