  In my four years, I am proud to say that over 50 of my bills were signed into law by either Governor Dayton or Governor Walz. Some of the highlights:  $62.5 million in small business emergency relief grants to support those devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic $9.7 million to rebuild the Rockford Road bridge over 494 in Plymouth $18 million to build the new Second Harvest Heartland distribution center to support food shelfs across Minnesota to address hunger in our communities (including IOCP and ICA) Created the Youth Skills Training Program to shrink the skills gap & prepare high school students for the economy of tomorrow Created the Work Force Development Scholarships to address workforce shortages in high demand industries Increased funding for the state grant program to help low-income students afford college Reinstated the Angel Investment Tax Credit to increase investment in innovation and Minnesota tech startups Renamed U.S. Highway 12 within the city limits of Wayzata the Officer Bill Mathews Memorial Highway (Wayzata Police Officer who was killed in line of duty in September 2017) Increased funding and established programming for suicide prevention and crisis counseling Increased funding to help victims of sex trafficking and exploited youth   Whether we agreed or disagreed on an issue, your input made me a better senator, allowing me to best represent the greatest communities in the State of Minnesota.Thank you for the awesome honor and privilege to serve you and your family.May God bless you and your family with love, peace, happiness and good health in the coming year.  P.S. If you are interested, you can watch my retirement speech on the floor of the Minnesota Senate which I gave back in July. During my remarks, I was able to recognize and honor the late Congressman Jim Ramstad. You can see that here. Or copy and paste this link into your preferred web browser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpeJdxU_mAs |
