August 30, 2024

Dear Fourth District Constituent,

As we approach Labor Day weekend, I want to celebrate the workers who built our country and who power our economy every day. The labor movement has fought to improve the lives of all Americans, securing many of the employment benefits that we often take for granted – the weekend, overtime pay, and sick leave, just to name a few.  It is important that we recognize these advances, because we must remain vigilant in protecting them for the future. On Labor Day, I encourage you and your family to get outside, enjoy the beautiful Minnesota weather, and celebrate the progress that the labor movement has made to the benefit of all of us.

Powering the Next Generation of Labor: The Inflation Reduction Act

In Washington, workers have allies in the Biden-Harris Administration and the Democratic House Caucus.  During the past four years, Democrats have made historic investments for American Workers — rebuilding infrastructure, supporting clean energy, and bringing manufacturing jobs back home. Through passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and CHIPS & Science Act, President Biden and Vice President Harris were able to partner with Democrats in Congress to reinvigorate the economy and put Americans back to work after the COVID pandemic. 

These investments have created more than 15 million good-paying jobs across the country, and new projects made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act are being greenlit across our state. In Minnesota, 105 clean energy projects in solar, wind, hydro, and battery storage are estimated to create over 10,000 new jobs. I strongly support this effort to build a clean energy economy while creating thousands of good, union jobs in the process.

The Great Minnesota Get Together

It’s the last weekend of the Great Minnesota Get Together!  Here in Minnesota’s Fourth Congressional District, we are so fortunate that every year, we get to welcome visitors from across the state and beyond to the best state fair in America!  On Thursday, it was wonderful to visit the Minnesota State Fair and appreciate how it brings folks together and showcases what makes our state so special – what we grow, innovate, create, and how we have fun. I certainly enjoyed my visit this year, from staples like crop art to novelties like pickle pizza. It was nice to have the opportunity to hear from organizations that make our state so great, like the MN National Guard, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and Monarch Joint Venture. 

I want to thank all the workers and volunteers that toiled through storms and flooding to make the State Fair possible. Labor Day is the last day of this year’s fair, so if you’re visiting this weekend, be sure to stop by the AFL-CIO Labor Pavilion and thank a union member for working toward progress for all of us.

District Highlight: NEH Awards Grants to Macalester College & Minnesota Historical Society

Earlier this week, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced a pair of new grants to support the arts in Minnesota’s 4th Congressional district. Macalester College will receive $149,000 to support projects in the digital humanities, and the Minnesota Historical Society will receive $300,000 to preserve and digitize America’s historic print newspapers. Congratulations to Macalester College and the Minnesota Historical Society on receiving these major grants!

Saturday in Stillwater: Good Weather, Live Music, Fireworks over St. Croix River 

Who says you can’t have fireworks in August? Due to flooding that forced Stillwater to reschedule their July 4th fireworks show, the city will put on a fireworks show this Saturday at 9pm. The fireworks show will cap off an evening of fun festivities including live music by the St. Croix Jazz Orchestra. Spectators are asked to bring a lawn chair and are encouraged to enjoy the fireworks at Lowell Park or Pioneer Park. Learn more via Pioneer Press.

The Arts are Bringing a Neighborhood Together

This past Sunday, 825 Arts held their long-awaited ribbon cutting ceremony officially opening the art center to the public. For over a decade the rehabilitation and reuse of the century old Victoria Theater has been a community held dream. Neighbors, artists, and volunteers came together as a community, spending countless of hours planning, advocating, and organizing to save the historic Victoria Theater from demolition. Striving to ensure the building would once again be a hub for creative and artistic expression and continue to serve the diverse communities in Frogtown and Rondo.  It was a pleasure to partner with community members to leverage federal funds that made this neighborhood dream a reality. Congratulations to the 825 Arts staff, artists, neighbors, and volunteers for advocating to secure this art center!