[ST. PAUL, MN] – Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan visited Winona today to highlight investments in child care and infrastructure. She first visited the child care provider, Main Square Montessori, to celebrate recent investments to expand child care access for more Minnesotans statewide. In the afternoon, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan toured a building reconstruction project on the Winona State University Campus and visited Levee Park with Winona Mayor Scott Sherman and city officials to see a planned expansion project. Both projects were funded through the infrastructure package passed this session. Representative Gene Pelowski joined Lieutenant Governor Flanagan throughout the visit.

“The investments we made this session will lower costs for families and improve the daily lives of Minnesotans across the state,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “In Winona, we’re making child care more affordable and accessible, and we’re improving the connectivity of the city and region with the beauty of the Mississippi River through the expansion of the riverfront trail. These investments are good for our economy and the community, and I’m proud we got them done.”

This week, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan met with senior White House officials and state legislators in Washington D.C. to discuss child care issues and highlight Minnesota’s work to increase access to child care, lower child care costs, and eliminate child poverty. The One Minnesota Budget signed into law this session includes over $1.3 billion to support the child care workforce, expand child care access, and ensure quality child care is available statewide

Governor Walz signed the state’s largest-ever infrastructure bill into law on June 1, which will create good-paying jobs, invest in infrastructure, and bring long-term benefits to communities across the state. The infrastructure package includes $5 million to expand the riverfront trail in downtown Winona and create more opportunities for walking and biking. The infrastructure bill also includes nearly $5 million for the design of a net-zero energy building that would replace two older buildings on the Winona State University campus. The net-zero energy building will use a solar array and geothermal energy to power the building.