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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you had a restful Memorial Day weekend. I was glad to spend some time at home with my family and take a moment to reflect on the real meaning of the day. Memorial Day is a time to remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice is the reason we have the freedoms we enjoy. I want to extend my thanks to the Park Rapids marching band for their participation in the memorial service sponsored by the American Legion Otto Hendrickson Post 212. Their beautiful performance honored our fallen heroes well.
Bill Update
Negotiations on the remaining budget bills have continued this week. While some challenges remain, we have made substantial progress. Several major bills have been finalized, and we expect a special session next week to complete the remaining work.
A few key bills are still unresolved, but discussions are ongoing. In the area of K-12 education, House Republicans secured an important outcome by protecting funding for non-public pupil aid. This funding was at risk of being cut. We held the line because reducing support for families who choose non-public education would have directly undermined educational access and choice. Educational choice is an important right for students and their families across the state. Preserving this funding affirms the principle that parents should have the ability to select the learning environment that best serves their children.
In addition to defending non-public pupil aid, we continue to advocate for transparency and accountability in how education dollars are spent. Taxpayers deserve to know their money is being used effectively, with a clear focus on student outcomes. Education policy should prioritize classrooms over administrative overhead and should deliver measurable results.
One of my top priorities is preventing tax increases at both the state and local levels. That means stopping any proposals that would raise taxes directly and making sure the state does not shift additional financial burdens onto counties, which would force them to raise local taxes to cover the gap.
I will keep you updated on the progress here at the Capitol, especially as we anticipate a special session as soon as next week.
Shoutouts
Shoutout to Pine-River Backus student Claire Lundstrom, who successfully participated in the third round of the Nursing Assistant cohort, earning her Nursing Assistant Certification. This is an incredible achievement as a high schooler, setting you up for much future success. Congratulations!
 And shoutout to our class of 2025, some who have graduated already and some who will have their ceremonies soon. Graduation is a great accomplishment and I wish you the best in your next adventure, whatever that may be! Please reach out if I can be of any assistance to you.
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