Dear Neighbors,
Some updates from this week at the Capitol:
Guest Chaplain from Rosemount
On Monday, January 28th, I had the pleasure of welcoming District 57B residents Reverend Jon and Maila Ellefson from Rosemount to the Capitol. Reverend Ellefson, a retired Lutheran Minister and member of Augustana Lutheran Church, served as the guest Chaplain, and gave the prayer before the start of session.
Education Meetings
This week, I met with Superintendent Jane Berenz and several teachers from ISD 196 to discuss their legislative priorities for this session. Among the topics covered were the Governor's proposal to fund all-day kindergarten, a state-wide health insurance plan for Minnesota's teachers, and funding to implement teacher evaluations as currently required under state law. I appreciated meeting with these faithful educators and learning first-hand what they are facing in our classrooms.
I also met with parents and students from the Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators (MACHE) who were visiting the Capitol to learn more about the legislative process. I am grateful for the opportunity to share with them my experiences growing up as a home educated student. It was a pleasure to meet these families and hear about their experience of how things work at the legislature.
I believe it's critical to ensure that our public education system is the best that it can be, and that Minnesota families have the freedom and flexibility to choose the education options that work best for their children. I will continue to advocate for freedom of school choice, fair funding of our suburban schools, and wise spending of our education dollars so all our students have the opportunity to succeed.
Go Red Day
Today marked the beginning of American Heart Month. In order to raise awareness for heart disease and stroke, the American Heart Association is encouraging people to participate in National Wear Red Day, which takes place annually on the first Friday in February.
For more information on the risks of heart disease and stroke, and ways to keep your heart healthy, please visit the American Heart Association's website at www.heart.org. There they have a number of helpful free resources including My Life Check, Go Red For Women® Heart CheckUp and Go Red For Women® Better U.
State of the State Address
Next week, Governor Dayton will give his 2013 State of the State address to a joint session of the legislature. I look forward to hearing from the Governor, who is expected to promote his budget proposal and lay out more of his 2013 legislative agenda and priorities. While there will be varying opinions amongst legislators on his budget, agenda, and priorities, legislators are looking forward to working through the challenges to balance our state budget and make Minnesota a better place to live, work, and raise a family.
Have a great weekend!
Anna Wills
State Representative, District 57B