Week of February 24- 28
Former students finding careers in government
I recently got to meet with five of my former students: Joe Lenczewski, Eric Petersen, Laura (Helgen) Sparkman, Erik Anderson, and Alex Fox. They all now work in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
It does my heart good to see them here, making the world a better place
Eden Prairie Library reopens
It was a pleasure to be at the grand re-opening of the Eden Prairie Library. Also in attendance was Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, Commissioner Jan Callison, Eden Prairie Mayor Ron Case, Commissioner Debbie Goettel, and Council Member Brad Aho.
Hearing from students
On Monday I spent some time talking to students at Eden Prairie High School. Some of their big concerns were climate change, vaping, and higher education costs. Looking forward to seeing them change the world as they get older.
Updating our state constitution
A friend and former legislative assistant, Kristin Trapp, recently visited the capitol to advocate for a bill she is working on, SF 522. The bill would change all instances of “he” or “him” in the state constitution to gender neutral pronouns.
New Session, New interns
It has been a fun few weeks getting to know my new interns. Adrianna Erickson and Urji Abdalla (a former student) both have an exciting passion for government. They are both juniors in college and hope to pursue careers in politics after graduation.
Eden Prairie Schools Gala
Last weekend, I attended the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools Gala. I watched a former colleague be awarded teacher of the year and celebrated the work of all of our educators and staff. This foundation is doing great work for our students.
Voting against Voter ID
In the State Government and Elections Committee this week, we heard a bill on Voter ID, which would require some form of identification card in order for a Minnesotan to cast a ballot. After a spirited debate, I voted against it for three very important reasons. I recorded my weekly video on this subject. You can check it out by clicking HERE.
Minnesota welcomes its newest citizens
The state capitol hosted a naturalization ceremony in the rotunda on Wednesday. Watching these events always reminds me of how wonderful our country is. 
While at the ceremony, I happened to reunite with two former students who were there to support their mom, who had just become a citizen.
Meetings with constituents
Trisha Alexander, a former student, came in to lobby me this week for Hunger Solutions Day on the Hill. Great to see young adults exercising their civic duty.
A few constituents also came in for Be the Match day at the capitol, to try and make bone marrow transplants more accessible.
I also had the chance to talk with a student at the School of Environmental Studies who was here to learn about law and policy. She expressed wisdom beyond her years and I was happy to help with her research.
Two constituents also came in for private college day on the hill. Both attend Augsburg University, and represented the school wonderfully. One of their big issues was funding for the State Grant Program.
I ran into Annie Deanovic Schmidt, a former student of mine back in 2004, who was here for Kidney Donation day on the hill.
Sometimes, politics can seem like an abstract concept, far from the realities of everyday life. But at a Feb. 29 town hall with Eden Prairie’s trio of state representatives, voters’ questions to their legislators touched on urgent topics, from insulin affordability and COVID-19 to how Minnesota will be represented in Congress after the 2020 Census.
