Draz: Economic development funding for southeast Minnesota
Friends and neighbors — A big issue in our area is the future of Red Wing’s Prairie Island nuclear power plant. Red Wing relies heavily on the tax revenue from the plant, so when the…
Draz: An important Supreme Court ruling for property owners
Friends and neighbors, Let’s talk about Geraldine Tyler. She’s a 94-year-old woman from Minneapolis who found herself in a tough spot. Ms. Tyler lost her home after falling behind on property taxes. She owed about…
Draheim: Even more fraud on the Walz administration’s watch
Friends and neighbors, Recently we learned about yet another round of fraud in Minnesota. In this scam, Faribault residents needing medical appointments like chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, dermatologists and dentists were recruited and steered to…
Draheim: Individual flood relief application deadline pushed back
Friends and neighbors, I have good news to report. If you were impacted by the severe flooding in June and July, you now have more time to apply for federal assistance. Grab a pen and…
Gruenhagen: The benefits of divided government
Friends and neighbors, A few of you sent me this story about comments made by retiring Rep. Gene Pelowski and what I thought. Minnesota has experienced divided government for most of the past 25 years.…
Senate Education Lead concerned with ethnic studies working group
Today Senator Julia Coleman (Waconia), Lead Republican on the Senate Education Policy Committee, is raising concerns over troubling comments and missed deadlines by the ethnic studies working group. “This working group is meant to be…
Environmental Trust Fund on the Ballot This Year
Environmental Trust Fund on the Ballot This Year by Senator Steve Green The legislature recently passed a bill that puts a question regarding the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) on the 2024 ballot:…
Senator Dornink: A better future for all Minnesotans
Friends and neighbors, The fall season is here, both literally and in our political landscape. As we transition into this new season, it is an ideal time to evaluate whether the policies enacted by the…
Minnesota Family Council hosts legislative town hall at Life Church in Fergus Falls
On Thursday, Sept. 19, the Minnesota Family Council (MFC) hosted a well-attended town hall meeting at Life Church in Fergus Falls. The event brought together community members to discuss important legislative updates for the 2023/2024…
Senator Westrom congratulates James Knoll Elementary on prestigious National Blue Ribbon designation
On Monday, Sept. 23, the U.S. Department of Education announced the 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools. This year, 356 schools nationwide received this prestigious recognition, which “highlights schools that excel in academic performance or make…
Lang Celebrates Economic Development Investments in Chippewa and Renville Counties
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced recently that they will be investing over $1.7M in Small Cities Development Program funds in Senate District 16. “These investments are great news for…
Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Plaguing Minnesota
Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Plaguing Minnesota By Senator Jason Rarick As I’m sure many have already heard, the Feeding Our Future case has amounted to nearly $250 million in fraud so far. Recent reports have…
Lieske: Action needed to address disappointing student reading and math scores
Friends and neighbors, More than half of Minnesota public school students cannot read or do math at grade level. That is according to the Minnesota Department of Education, which recently released the results of 2024’s…
Sen. Lucero Named Vice-Chair of New HOA Reform Working Group
The Legislative Working Group on Common Interest Communities and Homeowners Associations, informally known as the HOA Reform working group, convened its first meeting on September 10 at the Minnesota Capitol. Sen. Eric Lucero (R-Saint Michael),…
Lucero: Statewide test results confirm Democrat approach to education is not working
To the editor, The Minnesota Department of Education recently released the latest statewide test results measuring student achievement, and scores remained disappointingly low: About 50% of tested students are not reading at grade level. Nearly…
Gruenhagen: Walz administration’s damaging agenda for children
Friends and neighbors, Over the last couple of years, I have written about the damage that Gov. Tim Walz and Democrats in the legislature are doing to our children with their radical agenda. Some of…
Gruenhagen: Highway 212 groundbreaking long overdue!
Friends and neighbors, Recently I joined a number of lawmakers and other Carver County officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of the next Hwy 212 project, which will expand more than 5 miles of the highway…
Gruenhagen: Grand Meadow finally getting rid of its wind turbine blades
Friends and neighbors, A few weeks ago, I shared the story of Grand Meadow, which has been stuck with an enormous pile of wind turbine blades. In 2020, a wind energy developer replaced the blades…
Sen. Jasinski responds to a massive DHS fraud case using Faribault residents
Today reporting indicates Minnesota’s Medicaid program has been defrauded millions of dollars by a ring of bad actors, this time using Faribault residents to maximize their reimbursements. The fraud was conducted by falsifying trips to…
Jasinski: Rising credit card debt reveals a growing burden on families
Friends and neighbors, I read an article recently in the Minnesota Reformer about credit card debt continuing to rise as people, especially the lowest earners, struggle to keep up with the cost of living. Their…