What's Happening at the Capitol
I introduced three bills at the workforce committee to include:
- Workforce grant to Duluth Public Schools for a software program to facilitate exposure to various trades, law enforcement, healthcare, and various other high paying high demand jobs at a middle school level.
- Workforce grant to Lake County Ambulance to create a partnership with high school students to become an EMT in their junior and senior year with all tuition paid.
- Workforce grant to Proctor for the development of a Regional CTE Center of Excellence partnership with Hermantown, Proctor and Esko to create space for enhanced career & technical education in MN.
Additionally, I proudly support some great bills to invest in education such as:
- HF 3808: Retirement without reduced benefits at 62 years with 30 years of service. With a projected budget deficit in 2025, this bill offers a pathway that many reached out to me wanting, without an expense on the state budget. While not perfect, it allows a pathway.
- HF 3924: Outdoor school for all grant, to encourage field trips and outdoor learning like Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center etc.
- HF 3507: General Education disparity aid and increased funding to classrooms.
- HF 3492: Computer Science grants for robotics and so much more.
- HF 3553: 2% on the formula for 2025.
- HF 2538: Student/Staff security systems for safe schools.
I am hopeful the 6-million-dollar bonding project for Northern Lights Academy will happen. I toured this learning center, and the need is real for special education students to have a safe and updated learning atmosphere for the 12 school districts that collaborate.
While education funding was historic, the mandates that followed the money created many restrictions for how money could be used. I am hopeful for a future with less mandates, and more money landing in the classrooms to support those who educate our future. While my kids graduated 10 years ago from Hermantown public schools, I find it ever so helpful to be in the schools to see what has changed, and what the current needs are to assure successful outcomes.
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I hope you all had a wonderful Easter holiday and soon you will be wrapping up another amazing year. Last year, I started an art project with students to learn the state symbols. The selected symbols to learn in 2023 were the state fish, tree, and sport. This year the state symbol is the butterfly, and I am happy to introduce this next competition for the state butterfly which is the Monarch butterfly.
 Students are encouraged to paint, draw, or color a photo. I learned last year that mail takes longer than anticipated, so teachers took a photo of the student artwork and emailed it to me at: rep.natalie.zeleznikar@house.mn.gov
Once I receive the artwork, I display artwork down the hallway and legislators and staff vote on a winner for the elementary, middle, and high school category. Once the winners are selected, I will send the winner a gift card to Dairy Queen and a crown from the capitol. Please share this with your students and send it to me by May 1st.
I appreciate the opportunity to visit as many schools in my district as I can. Many of you have reached out to invite me to your classroom to talk about the branches of government, tour your school, read in your classroom, learn about robotics, explore career technical education opportunities, and so much more. If you would like me to stop and see your classroom, read, or spend time learning together please reach out to my legislative assistant at: Karen.Hartwig@house.mn.gov.
Thank you for all you do, and your positive energy is felt by many every day in inspiring ways.
Let your light continue to shine,
Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar
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