This Week on the FloorThe Minnesota House passed several budget bills off the floor this week, including Environment & Climate, Veterans, State Government and Elections, Transportation, Housing, Agriculture, Children and Families, and E-12 Education. To say we’ve been busy is an understatement! I’m particularly excited about the Children and Families budget passing, which included several bills I authored this session. This bill will support the Reach Out and Read program (which I’ve carried since 2019), invest in Head Start infrastructure, strengthen our Early Learning curriculum and expand ECFE across the state, increase developmental screening, and create a pilot program for executive function curriculum. Data has shown time and time again that when we invest in our littlest Minnesotans, the returns are massive. These programs are smart ways to help give our kids the Great Start they deserve and make Minnesota the best state to raise a family. Underfunding in prior years has led to a crisis for early childhood educators and programs, but under DFL leadership, we’ve taken a huge step to right these wrongs and protect the futures of our most precious resource – the next generation. The Governor’s State of the State AddressWednesday night, Governor Walz delivered the State of the State address from the House Floor. Now that we’re 100 days into Walz’s second term, we can look back and see all the great things we’ve done for Minnesotans together – so far! It’s no coincidence that we are making immense progress this session: we have the youngest and most diverse legislature in our state’s history, with leaders who are committed to getting things done for Minnesotans. You can view the full address here. Here’s a fun throwback – in 2019, at the beginning of both my and the Governor’s first term, I had the honor of being a part of the Governor’s escort team for the address!  Celebrate Earth Day in EPThe Eden Prairie Eco Expo is back this year at the Eden Prairie Center! This Saturday, bring the kids to enjoy fun and educational activities like learning how bees make honey and what butterflies eat! If you’re lucky, you might even find some goats there. Admission and parking are free and it is sure to be a fun time for the whole family. Next Friday is also EP School’s Family Fun Friday! I feel blessed to live in a place with so many great family oriented events to bring the kids to.  Constituent CornerOne of the highlights of my week is always meeting with constituents. Over the past couple weeks, neighbors have come to the Capitol to discuss housing, robotics, childcare, public options for healthcare, and economic equity. As one lucky little constituent learned, I have lots of toys in my office! And of course, we hosted a packed-house town hall for residents in Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Chaska, and Minnetonka. We look forward to getting together again once the session ends. If you missed it, you can view the stream here!  National Prescription Drug Takeback DayAs I continue to work with my colleagues on making prescription drugs more affordable, I want to spread awareness that Saturday is National Prescription Drug Takeback Day. Many communities, including Eden Prairie, have dedicated locations where folks can drop off unused prescription drugs so that they can be disposed of safely. Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands, which is dangerous and often tragic. It’s important to clean out our medicine cabinets and dispose of unused prescription drugs safely and anonymously. Visit this link to find a drop off location near you: https://bit.ly/3myuDkj Together, we can help end the overdose epidemic.  Keep in TouchUnfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account. To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out email at rep.carlie.kotyza-witthuhn@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-6828. You can contact my new Legislative Assistant, Ella, at 651-296-3918 or via email at ella.schultz@house.mn.gov. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you at the Capitol. All my best, Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn
State Representative |