This month we embrace National Military Appreciation Month, a time to honor and express gratitude to the men and women who have served, or are currently serving, in the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as their families.
This month-long observance, established by Congress in 1999, encompasses several significant events:​
Military Spouse Appreciation Day (May 10)
Armed Forces Day (May 17)
Memorial Day (May 26)

Things are heating up at the Legislature as we enter crunch time. With just two weeks left in the session, there is a lot of work left to be done. With some bills still outstanding, it’s times like now we wish we had those three missing weeks at the beginning of session, but we are still working hard to get bills done so we have time for conference committees and get our work done before May 19th.

It seems as if the activities pick up as the school year winds down.

With Easter over it looks like we are now on the fast track to summer. Or if not summer at least to the end of the school year.

It has been a very active couple of weeks at the Capitol, working to complete the policy and budget bills in committee. It was nice to get your emails and calls giving your input. I also had the opportunity to meet with several groups and hear directly from Minnesotans about the issues that matter most.

As a former teacher and former chair of the Senate Education Committee, I’ve spent years working to make sure young learners succeed. This work has always been deeply personal to me. And right now, I believe Minnesota’s K-12 system needs a reset.