By the time this is in the hands of the Independent Age’s readers, Minnesota’s new lawmakers will have been sworn in, a new Speaker of the House elected, and the legislative session will be underway. Please, everyone, contain your excitement.
It’s true that the state of politics in Washington and St. Paul has left much to be desired in recent years, and throughout the campaign I was often asked why a seemingly reasonable young man like me would want to enter the fray. It is simple, and it is the truth: I was raised to believe that one can be a part of the problem or a part of the solution.
In years past, some of the big issues tackled by the legislature included ensuring that schools across Minnesota provided comparable educational opportunities. That legislation, in short, said Minnesota children, whether they were from Aitkin or Edina, deserved to be able to compete with one another—and children from across the country—for the jobs of the future. At that same time, Local Government Aid was established to help towns and cities across greater Minnesota provide the type of infrastructure and services that would help communities grow and flourish, and that they may not be able to support with local revenues alone.
This set of legislation that helped provide a more consistent quality of life for the whole state was referred to as the “Minnesota Miracle,” and it was the subject of a Time magazine cover story. The year was 1972, and it took forward-looking politicians on both sides of the aisle and an invested electorate to push those reforms through.
As we move into this current session, it is again going to take a combination of those forces to get this state back on the right track. Though my party has control of both houses, I believe that we will not find the type of lasting solutions we need unless we involve the ideas of the minority, the consideration of urban, suburban, and rural populations, and the wisdom and common sense of the people.
As many readers are aware, budget and education reform are two of the top issues my colleagues and I will address this year—and in my capacity as a member of the K-12 Education Finance Committee, I will be directly involved with legislation that I hope will be a move in the right direction: making education funding more fair, so that schools in our area are once again able to compete with others across the state for opportunities.
It is not my habit to make promises, but my goal as a legislator is to work diligently in the interests of my district and for the betterment of the state. I feel it is a great honor and privilege to represent my community at the State Capitol, and I look forward to the work beginning. I will keep readers of this paper updated on a monthly basis, and I encourage everyone to contact my office with questions, concerns, or comments on any upcoming legislation throughout the session and beyond.