 Dear Neighbors, It was a short week as the House and Senate began their Spring Recess Wednesday evening, but many committees, including ours in Education Finance, were able to meet at least once before official business was put on pause. House offices will be closed on March 29 until a noon floor session April 2 to observe Easter and Ramadan. Committees will resume that day as well. I was excited to be in Owatonna on Tuesday for Governor Walz’s State of the State address at Owatonna High School. It was great to celebrate our collective work to make Minnesota the best state in the country for kids and discuss how, every once in a while, people can come together to make a lot of progress in a short amount of time.  Here’s a look at what’s going on at the Capitol: Joint Budget Targets AnnouncedThe House DFL, Senate DFL, and Governor Walz have agreed on a supplemental budget framework that will continue our state on the right path to help all Minnesotans have a better life. This budget builds on the investments that we made last session as well as taking action on challenges facing working families and communities. With this budget, we continue to maintain Minnesota’s strong economic outlook into the future.  Connected to CommunityI was grateful to have had the chance to meet with a couple constituent groups this week too, even with the significant snowfall. I visited with folks at the Capitol for AARP’s day on the hill and visited remotely with constituents advocating for the North Star Act. Thank you for coming out to make your voices heard!  I also had a wonderful opportunity to join our Edina Muslim Community for an Iftar dinner on Monday night. The community is halfway through Ramadan with an Eid celebration right around the corner.  COABE AwardI’m honored to share that I’ve earned the Legislative Champion Award from the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) for our committee’s contributions and support of adult education in our 2023 state budget. Education is a lifelong journey, and Minnesotans of all ages deserve opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. I am thankful to COABE for their advocacy and work to ensure everyone has a chance to gain more knowledge. You can learn more about COABE here: www.coabe.org. While visiting the west metro adult basic education consortium to receive the award, I had the opportunity to visit with students and teachers in the adult basic education program there. Thank you for spending time with me and sharing your successes as well as the funding challenges that ABE still has. Keep in TouchI hope you have a great holiday if you’re celebrating! Thank you for the honor to do this work for you and with you. Please feel free to stay in touch on the issues most important to you by emailing me at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889. Email is the quickest way to get in touch. I appreciate hearing from you! Have a great weekend,  Cheryl Youakim
State Representative |