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Dear Neighbors,
From my family to yours, I want to wish you a very Happy Holidays and my hope for a special New Year. With the calendar set to turn to 2020, I want to share how grateful I am for the involvement and engagement from community members in Duluth. At the Legislature, I’ve worked to amplify the voice of the people in our state, especially those whose voices are too often left out of conversations at the Capitol, but are largely most affected by the decisions made.
As an example, I had moving conversations with young mothers and others looking for a ladder out of poverty, which highlighted the importance of increasing temporary assistance benefits, and this past legislative session, lawmakers came together to do that for the first time in 33 years.
I’ve had many difficult meetings with family members of those who’ve lost loved ones, first responders, and others looking to us for leadership in addressing our opioid crisis. This year, I’m proud we were able to stand up to the pharmaceutical industry – together – and enact strong Opioid Stewardship Legislation, which I’m hopeful will save lives.
I continue to be impressed with the collective energy of youth in our community and across the state advocating for solutions to stop the harm of climate change and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Their generation, and those after them, will be the ones most effected, so it’s critically important we have their voice at the table.
In the New Year, there’s much work for us left to do. Clearly, people in Duluth are not just resilient, but deeply dedicated to improving the quality of life for everybody in our state. I look forward to continuing our shared efforts to ensure everyone has the opportunity to succeed and thrive. Please be in touch with your feedback, input, and ideas.
I hope you and your family have a festive, safe, and wonderful holiday season.
Sincerely,
Liz Olson
State Representative
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