Dear Neighbors,
First, I want to take a moment to share with you the reason for the delay in between legislative updates. My dad contracted a rare form of pneumonia several weeks ago and eventually passed away last week. I spent many long days at the ICU with him in his last days which made it very difficult to keep up with all of my legislative duties. Fortunately, despite our differences on the issues, the Legislature is also a place where everyone knows family comes first.
My dad was a leader in my home community of Cass Lake in northern Minnesota and a big part of why I wanted to be a legislator. Here is a link to my press release last week recognizing my dad’s passing.
I want to take this opportunity to remind you that the Minnesota Attorney General’s website has lots of helpful information related to Advanced Health Care Directives and other end of life documents you might need. The site includes free forms you can use. I encourage you to review this information and have these hard conversations with your loved ones ahead of time when the need does not seem imminent. As I’ve recently learned, you just never know when you might lose a loved one and it is much easier when you already have information about their wishes.
End of 2018 Legislative Session
The 2018 legislative session started with a great deal of hope for bipartisan progress, but it ended with mixed results last Sunday evening. I will provide a more thorough summary and thoughts regarding what was accomplished and what wasn’t in my update next week.
Wear a Life Jacket!
Nearly 90 percent of reported drownings occur when the person was not wearing a life jacket. This is an incredible statistic and I hope you will take heed. Here is a link to a video and other important information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources regarding life jacket use.
I wish you a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend as we celebrate and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country.
Sincerely,
