Dear Neighbors,
This past week in the House of Representatives was filled with much time on the floor hearing bills as we discussed our budget proposals for the next two years. I was proud to support legislation related to agriculture, public safety, higher education, and more. It’s encouraging to see the House moving in a timely manner and working for a responsible budget that prioritizes every-day Minnesotans.
Agriculture
This week, I voted to pass two of our large agriculture omnibus bills. I was proud to support these bills, which will help our local farmers do the job they do best - to help put food on our tables! One of the most pressing issues I hear from farmers relates to emergence of a harmful weed called palmer amaranth. This noxious weed is very adaptable and stubborn. It can be real threat to our crops and even farm equipment. Our bill appropriates money for dealing with noxious weeds, like the palmer amaranth, as well as other invasive plants, pests, and pathogens that can negatively impact our agriculture industry.
We also included provisions to give farmers more of a voice on water quality issues, and to dedicate funding to a new Pollinator Habitat and Research Account. These are some of the bigger issues that I hear from farmers, so it’s important to include provisions like these in our legislation.
Public Safety
If you’ve been following me this year in the legislature, you know that I’m working on legislation help children speak up and combat sexual abuse. Contained in our public safety legislation, we included related provisions to help keep our children safe from sexual predators.
The proposal we passed this week creates strong penalties for convicted sexual predators, and dedicates increased funding for more sex trafficking prevention grants. This can be such a difficult issue to talk about, but the only way for us to make strides against these horrific crimes is to openly search for solutions.
Higher Education
As a former teacher, I always loved seeing my students graduate from high school and enter the next phase of their lives. Whether that be in farming, joining the military, or going off to college; it was so rewarding to see former students succeed. One avenue for students is to attend college, and what better place to do so than here in Minnesota. Our higher education funding bill makes attending college easier for our residents.
The legislation would freeze tuition at Minnesota’s two-year colleges in the 2017-2018 academic year and decreases tuition in 2018-2019, and would freeze tuition at four-year state universities for the 2018-2019 year. Post-secondary education has become extraordinarily expensive in recent years, and these tuition freezes help to mitigate these skyrocketing costs.
Visits
I had the pleasure of meeting with the 7th and 8th grade classes of Hollandale Christian School, along with some teachers and parents, this week. They came to the Capitol to learn about the legislative process and take a tour of the building. I always love it when young people come to the Capitol. It's a great place to learn about our state and our government. Thank you for visiting, Hollandale Christian School!
Lastly, it was a pleasure to have a special family friend join us at the legislature on Monday to lead prayer as the Chaplain of the Day. Pastor Jerry Goodmanson, and his wife Jean, were longtime residents of Albert Lea and now pastor a church in River Falls, Wisconsin. Thank you, Pastor Jerry, for your wonderful prayer and for taking the time to join us this week!
Please Contact Me
The legislature is on a one-week break for Easter and Passover. I’ll be back in Albert Lea, and hope to see you around town. Feel free to contact my office; I’d love to meet with you this week.
Enjoy your weekend!
Peggy