Lt Governor Prettner Solon and Commissioner Mike Rothman held a Town Hall meeting this Thursday to discuss financial fraud and abuse.

On Thursday, Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon and Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman met with seniors in Duluth to talk about senior fraud prevention. Governor Dayton has proclaimed April Financial Literacy Month, with agencies and organizations across the state meeting with Minnesotans to promote strong personal finance education.

Next week, Governor Dayton will travel the state to make the case for his Budget for a Better Minnesota in Shakopee.

Over the last several weeks, more than 1,000 Minnesotans gathered at town hall meetings hosted by Governor Mark Dayton in Duluth, Moorhead, St. Cloud, Rochester, Mankato, and Virginia. The Governor’s ‘Meetings with Mark’ are an effort to engage Minnesotans in personal conversations about his proposed investments in education, job creation, and improving the lives of middle-class families. Another Meeting with Mark has been scheduled for next week in Shakopee at the following time and location:
 
When: Monday, April 29 at 6:00pm
Where: Shakopee High School Auditorium
100 17th Avenue West
Shakopee, MN
 
Meetings with Mark give Minnesotans the opportunity to weigh-in on the state’s ongoing budget conversation – offering ideas, questions, and concerns about the state’s education system, our economy, and our shared future. Governor Dayton welcomes all viewpoints and invites all Minnesotans to join him in conversation about the budget challenges facing our state and the investments we need to make in order to build a Better Minnesota. All ‘Meetings with Mark’ are free and open to the public and press.
 
Governor Dayton has proposed a fair and balanced budget that will responsibly resolve the state’s deficit and make crucial investments in Minnesota’s future. The Governor’s proposal focuses on improving the lives of Minnesotans by making major investments in education, job creation, and a stronger middle class. Those investments include $640 million in new funding for education, $86.5 million for job creation and economic development, and $120 million in aid to local governments that will help provide property tax relief to Minnesota homeowners, renters, and businesses.
 
More information about the governor’s Budget for a Better Minnesota is available here. You can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #BetterMN.

On Monday, Education Commissioner Cassellius held the latest in a series of roundtables across Minnesota on the state of early education. The Commissioner joined Brainerd Superintendent Steve Razidlo, teachers and administrators to talk about the importance of supporting investments in young learners as a critical way to close achievement gaps and improve student outcomes.

Minnesotans came out to the "Pep Rally for Minnesota's Future."

This weekend, Governor Dayton joined House Speaker Paul Thissen, House Majority Leader Erin Murphy and education advocates to rally for Minnesota’s future. The cafeteria at St. Paul Central High Schools was filled with Minnesotans who came out to show their support for investing in education at all levels.

Jason Bolt, a father of five daughters, spoke about the importance of providing funding for All Day Kindergarten. His youngest daughter is currently in all-day Kindergarten, his oldest a freshman in college. He sees providing funding for all-day Kindergarten as a way to close the achievement gap, noting that he can see a night and day difference between his two youngest daughters who have benefited from all-day Kindergarten to his oldest daughters who only attended half-day Kindergarten.

“I believe that every single child in Minnesota deserves the right to go to Kindergarten all day to get that educational experience that they need.” Said Bolt, adding that middle class parents should not have to pay $3,500-$4,000 a year to have their kids go to school.

On Earth Day this year it is especially noticeable how polar our planet can be. Unseasonable temperatures last year gave way to one of the wettest, coldest, and longest, springs this year. While this could be interpreted as Mother Nature’s cruelty, it’s more a sign of our planet’s fragility.

While the MPCA stresses “Every day is Earth Day”, April 22 is the one time a year that everyone should take notice of our environment. For those hoping to celebrate proactively, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has 5 ways you can go a little greener this year.

Join Governor Dayton, Speaker Paul Thissen, House Majority Leader Erin Murphy and education advocates this Sunday at a Pep Rally for Minnesota's Future!

Minnesotans take pride in our world-schools. But over the past decade, Minnesota has suffered from a decade of disinvestments in education.
Come show your “Minnesota pride” and lend your voice to our efforts at the State Capitol to make new investments to put Minnesota’s kids on the path to success.

WHO: Governor Mark Dayton, Speaker Paul Thissen,
Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL legislators and education advocates
WHAT: Invest in Education “Pep Rally”
WHEN: Sunday, April 21st at 2:30 PM
WHERE: St. Paul Central High School, Cafeteria/Commons
275 Lexington Parkway North, St. Paul, MN 55104

For more information, contact Michael Howard at Michael.howard@house.mn