Dear Neighbors,
We just finished one of the busiest weeks so far this year at the Capitol. We passed three large omnibus bills with provisions ranging from student discipline to long-term care. There’s still a process for these bills to become law, but we’re off to a great start in helping all residents of our state.
Education Bill
Earlier this week, we passed a bipartisan education package that re-invested in proven programs to shrink the achievement gap, decrease higher education costs, and help reduce the teacher shortage in our state. In short: our bill helps our local schools.
I authored two provisions contained within this bill. The first starts to address discipline issues in schools by creating a working group of teachers, administrators, and parents. The goal of this working group is to create safer schools and classrooms, while also promoting increased achievement for potentially disruptive students.
The second provision allows for high school juniors to be reimbursed one time to take the SAT exam. Current statute only allows for the reimbursement of the ACT, but expanding this to the SAT gives our students more freedom to choose what college or university best fits them.
My top priority in St. Paul is to help our schools and our students achieve more. My two provisions are a small piece of the large bill, but I’m proud to assist our schools, teachers, and, of course, our students.
Health and Human Services
We recently passed a bill containing proposals relating to health and human services, state government finance, and public safety. One provision I support is taking the savings from waste, fraud, and abuse in public programs to give the money directly to long-term and community-based caregivers. If we can continue to find reports of waste in our government, we can fund an increase for those who care for our most vulnerable.
As a member of the Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee, I was happy to see a number of provisions included to assist our seniors. We passed language to allow nursing homes to complete overdue remodeling and renovations, and helped nursing facilities on border cities in our state. These provisions will help our residents for years to come.
Please Contact Me
Although we just passed three large bills, there’s still plenty left to discuss this session. I’ll continue to work toward fixing our roads and bridges, and providing tax relief for middle class families. If you have a question or suggestion, feel free to contact me. You can reach me at 651-296-4212 or rep.drew.christensen@house.mn. I look forward to hearing your suggestions to help Minnesota, and I’m truly grateful for the privilege of representing you in St. Paul.
Best,
Drew