Dear Neighbors,
The first few weeks of the legislative session are filled with a lot of routine. I attend committee hearings, consider the benefits of different policies, and meet with advocates on many different issues. But this week was different because of Governor Dayton’s eighth and final state of the state address. Here are a few things you may not have heard about:
Visitors from the Community
Counselors from ISD 196 visited me to talk about some of the challenges they face. Minnesota has one of the worst student to counselor ratios in the entire United States. As Minnesotans we expect to lead in education so this is something that we need to change.
A special thank you to Ms. Scholen, who was my counselor at EVHS and is the reason I chose to attend the University St. Thomas!
Best Life Alliance showed up in force again this year at the Capitol. Hearing their stories is amazing and I will continue to support them. Direct care workers do important work and they deserve better support from the state.
Committee Hearings
For every committee hearing I post the committee’s agenda so people who follow my Facebook page can see what we considering for the day. I am also going to start posting what action we took on every bill to make it easier for those who are interested. The agendas with my notes will look like this.
If you have questions just let me know and I will do my best to answer them!
Dakota County Soil Water Conservation Rain District Garden Program
Rain gardens are a great way to help improve conservation by allowing rainwater to soak into the ground, slow storm water runoff, help prevent erosion and remove pollutants in the process. They also provide wildlife habitat and create beautiful landscaping.
Dakota County’s Soil & Water Conservation is offering a free Landscaping for Clean Water workshop to see dozens of beautiful, inspirational and affordable raingarden designs using native plants that help clean our waters. After attending, sign up to receive design and installation assistance. Some Dakota County residents will qualify a $250 grant to install their new gardens. Register for a Landscaping for Clean Water workshop.
Coffee and Conversations
My next Coffee and Conversations will be Saturday, March 17th, at 10:30 AM at the Dunn Brothers in Apple Valley (15265 Galaxie Ave, Apple Valley, MN 55124). These events are really important to meet with constituents and hear their concerns. I hope you can make it.
Warmly,
Erin