Friends,
Congratulations goes out to the Maple Grove Baseball team for making it to the Class 4A State Tournament this year. The first round was played yesterday at CHS Field in St. Paul and will continue over the weekend before the finale at Target Field on Monday. The Wayzata baseball team also made the 4A Tournament. Both teams will continue on in the consolation bracket this weekend. Good luck boys! This weeks update dives a bit deeper into the great strides we made into making sure every student in Minnesota has access to a world class-education. Have a great weekend!
Investment in Our Students
Following last session's historic investment in K-12 Education, the Legislature followed that up another significant investment into our children's future. We partner more than $1.3 billion of increased funding a 7.8% increase, including a 2% yearly increase to the per-pupil formula that was requested by our school districts, with proven reforms including ending the "Last In, First Out" default layoff policy for schools to keep the best teachers in the classroom. You can watch an interview I did with our local TV station on LIFO earlier this session.
From the per-pupil increase the school districts in our area, Osseo and Wayzata, will see a combined $15.35 million in increased funding over the next two years. Making this significant investment into our schools combined with real reforms to keep the best teachers in the classroom means we are one step closer to making sure every student in the state of Minnesota has access to a world-class education.
Civil Air Patrol
Last month I had the honor of becoming a member of the Minnesota Legislative Squadron Civil Air Patrol (CAP). The Civil Air Patrol is a benevolent, non-profit corporation by Act of Congress. CAP is also the Auxiliary of the United States Air Force. The missions of CAP are emergency services which consists of search and rescue, disaster relief and homeland security; aerospace education; and a cadet program for youth between age 12 and 21.
Col. James Garlough, Minnesota Wing Commander, presenting Rep. Dennis Smith
with his membership certificate in the Civil Air Patrol
Storm Damage
With the storms that blew through Minnesota this past weekend, the Minnesota Commerce Department has a lengthy list of tips that can be read here. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if I can be of any assistance in directing you to the proper resource.
Maple Grove man reaches semifinals for speech competition
Mark Skipper, a Maple Grove resident, outshone with more than a thousand local contestants to win the district-level of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest. He advanced to the semifinals and will be competing for one of the 10 spots in the World Championship of Public Speaking held in Vancouver, Canada on August 25. You can read more on his accomplishments here. Congrats Mark!
Townhall June 27th at Maple Grove Community Center
I will be holding a Townhall on June 27th from 7:00pm to 8:00pm to talk about the 2017 Session and hear your thoughts, concerns, and ideas. We will be in Room 133 at the Maple Grove Community Center. Hope to see you there!
Please continue to share your thoughts with me about our state government; bill ideas and concerns are welcomed! I am honored to serve you at the Capitol. My email address is Rep.Dennis.Smith@house.mn, phone number 651-296-5502, and by mail: 375 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Have a great weekend!
Dennis