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Allen









Legislative Update

Dear friends and neighbors, 

We officially made it to our first and second committee deadlines, and are fast approaching the third deadline next Friday. This means that we are quickly shifting our focus to crafting the budget, which will dominate much of our work in the coming weeks. I have more information on what has been decided on the budget so far, so I will just get right into it!

Budget Framework

We received our budget framework late last week, which was agreed to by both GOP and DFL leadership in the House and basically sets limits as to how much each committee can spend. The budget framework that came out was a huge win for Republicans. This framework reflects the largest spending cut in state history, and cuts the looming deficit by over $3 billion. Considering Democrats wasted an $18 billion surplus, raised taxes by over $10 billion, ballooned government spending by 40% in one session, and put us up against a $6 billion deficit, these changes are imperative to our future financial success and wellbeing. We are in the early stages of figuring out the budget that will be passed this session, but I will keep you updated as more information comes along.

Meetings this Week

I had a great meeting with Dr. Parker from South Central Community College this week. Education has been a huge focus recently due to concerns over Governor Walz's proposed cuts to education. Dr. Parker and I talked about the devastating impact that those cuts would have and why we need to be investing in education rather than taking away from it. Dr. Parker brought up bonding needs for the campus and how students that are learning and graduating from SCCC are filling worker shortages in critical fields such as diesel mechanics, nursing, and homecare. However, there are still many more positions to be filled in those industries which is why education investment is such a big deal. I appreciate the time that Dr. Parker took to sit down and educate me on the performance of the school and current needs. 

I ran into Goodhue County Commissioner Brad Anderson when he was at the Capitol to give testimony about county issues. It is always great to see community leaders in action at the legislature, advocating for our region's needs.

Goodhue County Commissioner

I presented HF578 [ [link removed] ] to the Capital Investments Committee this week. This bill would provide funding for the River Bend Nature Center in Faribault, which is a great outdoor destination in our district. Thank you to Executive Director Brad Bourn for coming to testify in support of the bill. 

Testifiers

I also had the chance to sit down with Chris Sammon from Rice County Community Services this week. Chris told me about the negative impacts of Governor Walz's proposed budget on community services, which is in line with many other industries that he wants to cut funding to. The main theme with the governor's budget proposals is that he intends to balance the budget on the backs of Minnesotans, who didn't get us into this mess and don't deserve to have to get us out of it. I really appreciated the insight from Chris and the opportunity that I had to learn more about the services we have in Rice County, and I hope I was able to address the budget concerns that we are facing.

Allen

Senator Jasinski and I met with the Faribault Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. We had a great conversation about our businesses and commerce in the Faribault Area, and it is always great to hear about district updates and happenings. Thank you to the folks who took the time to come to the Capitol and visit with us, we appreciate your work and involvement.

Faribault Chamber of Commerce

Although I forgot to take a photo, I got to meet briefly with the Catholic Bishops last Thursday. I appreciated the chance to talk with the bishops, both for the break from politics and for their encouraging words. Thank you!

Lent Means Fish Fry Fridays

Easter is only a few weeks away, which means the Lenten season is quickly coming to a close. It's not too late, however, to check out a local fish fry this Friday or next. I am always open to suggestions, so if you want to share with me please drop a recommendation in the comments on my Facebook [ [link removed] ] page and I might try it out! Have a great weekend.






Please Contact Me

I am here for you! If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to talk, I can be reached by phone at 651-296-8237 or by email <[email protected]>.

Thank you!

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Saint Paul, MN 55155 [email protected]
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