Friends and neighbors,

Below are a couple highlights from last week. I hope you are enjoying the beautiful colors of autumn!

School Safety funding

Last week, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) announced $30 million in school safety aid is now available for schools. Commissioner Myron Frans said the 2019 closing balance will provide enough for three contingency funds to be filled. The school safety aid must be distributed to school districts or charter schools by June 30, 2020 and will be dispersed proportionally by student population of the school.

We want our children to be safe in their schools and we understand how important it is for them to feel secure so they can focus on their schoolwork. This funding will deliver necessary school safety building projects, additional counselors, and increased security. In 2018, we provided grants for physical improvements to the school buildings, but this year we recognized the relevance of mental health to these tragedies and provided the opportunity to hire additional counselors.

I am proud of the work we did to prioritize school safety. Protecting perimeters and fostering a healthy community is a step towards stopping any more tragedies from impacting our schools.

Capital Investment Committee in Annandale

Last Thursday, the Senate Capital Investment Committee concluded their NW Minnesota bonding tour with a stop in Annandale. I met the committee at the Annandale City Administration building for presentations on the replacement of crucial sewer and water infrastructure as well as traffic and intersection improvements. The existing public utilities are 100 years old and the increase in traffic and population is pushing the infrastructure to its maximum capacity. Reconstruction is essential.

I will continue to advocate for these projects at the Capitol. New construction is vital to the growth of our community. I am proud of all the work local officials and employees have put into maintaining our current infrastructure and developing plans for improvement.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments! I always appreciate hearing from you. You can reach me at 651-296-5981 or sen.bruce.anderson@senate.mn.

Bruce