School Resource Officers UpdateThe St. Clair School District recently announced they will be reinstating the school resource officer program and worked with the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office to do so. Additionally, SRO’s headed back to school in North Mankato this week. A few weeks ago, a group of legislators from Greater Minnesota, including myself, met with the Governor to encourage action on the issue to ensure our kids have an extra layer of safety in our schools. The Attorney General’s office as well as the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association have concluded that school resource officers will be able to continue their duties as normal to keep our kids safe. I want to thank my colleagues who took our concerns seriously, the Attorney General’s office for helping clear a legal pathway to a solution, and our school resource officers for their commitment to protecting our most valuable asset – our kids. Taylor Farm Unveiling at the Children’s MuseumTaylor Farm is now open at the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota! Growing up, agriculture left an indelible mark on my life - and I still work in the field of work when not at the legislature. It was exciting to see all the children enjoying the new features of the hands-on agriculture experience thanks to a generous donation by Glen Taylor. Thanks to the museum for having me at the ribbon cutting.  The End of Construction SeasonI'm incredibly excited to say that Hwy 22 south of St. Peter is officially open! Construction on the intersection improvement project included adding a second left turn lane on southbound Hwy 169 at the intersection with Hwy 22 to create a dual turn lane. As I drove through it the other day, I definitely took a moment to appreciate that it is complete and that the intersection in question appears much safer also! MnDOT would like to thank residents, businesses, and motorists for their patience during construction. Investing in Community InfrastructureThis week, the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee toured Southwest and Central Minnesota, visiting sites and hearing presentations on proposed projects for potential inclusion in the 2024 Capital Investment Bill. Among stops on the tour were Caswell Park, the Minnesota River State Trail, MSU Mankato, and South Central College. Our region of the state is prime for more state investment - whether it’s in recreation opportunities at Caswell Park or the Minnesota River State Trail or in advancing campus educational opportunities at MSU Mankato or South Central College, there is no doubt that people want to live and work here. These investments will no doubt improve quality of life for our residents and attract more working families to our area.  Drivers Licenses for AllAs of October 1st, all Minnesota residents are eligible to earn a Driver’s License, regardless of immigration or citizenship status. This is a major move towards safer roads, as it will allow us to decrease the number of unlicensed, uninsured drivers on our roads and increase the amount of title and taxpaying Minnesotans driving on our streets and highways.  David Zwick Impact Award from Clean Water Action MinnesotaI was humbled and honored by Clean Water Action Minnesota with the David Zwick Impact Award in Minneapolis last weekend. This one is for everyone that worked so hard to pass the strongest set of #PFAS regulations in the world here in Minnesota, to protect us and future generations against these insidious forever chemicals. The work we did this year is a great example of what can happen when a group of passionate people come together with a common goal: change. Because of the work we did together, we have created a better future for Minnesota.  |