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|  State Senator Mary Olson after listening session in Emily - photo by Paul Boblett | Senator Mary Olson Conducts District Listening TourBy Paul Boblett, Editor Senator Mary Olson spent three days last week touring her district to listen to constituent’s concerns. Olson hoped the meetings would give area residents the opportunity to offer input and ask questions about the recently completed legislative session. “I value my constituents’ perspective on these issues and will keep their advice in mind as I weigh the choices we make in St. Paul,” said Olson. Olson cited healthcare, the environment, and school funding as the main thrust of area voters concerns following the gathering of around ten residents in Emily. She spoke on the process of legislating during the recently concluded session, and said that while it’s hard to correspond with voters, she encouraged them to keep emailing her as she keeps her laptop open and on during the sessions. She discussed a wide variety of topics including the future of nursing homes, education finance, natural resources, and the state of the local economy. She stated that sustainability of the local economy relates to the woods and water, the health of the lakes, and the personal responsibility of residents to become involved. Olson added that the Star Lake program has taken off in a very positive way with a high level of public involvement in the form of lake associations. She said the main topics of lake associations are invasive species, natural fish reproduction, dams, and excess weed growth. Olson said of the Star Lake Program, “There are so many issues that are overlapping - and the lake associations are at the forefront. It’s the hands-on work that is largely coming from the associations. We are rewarding good practices and providing incentives to give associations a mark of the state’s appreciation.” “It’s good for society on the whole but benefits lakes as well to use the best management practices – it’s never too late to start,” she added. One questioner asked about the possibility of the state purchasing more land, however, Olson said the state is in a quandary due to the revenue challenges that particular proposition presents, though noting that preserving the land is important to the health of the environment. She was asked how citizens could make an impact besides voting for a candidate. Olson said that besides contacting your legislators, it only takes one person to get a local project going. She said that most of the legislative ideas statewide come from constituents. She spoke briefly on education citing that 58 percent of the state budget goes to K-12 and higher reduction. She noted that college tuition has nearly doubled in recent years and though legislators “put a fence” around education funding, they have not restored the cuts from the past several years. She added that exempting 77 percent of the tax base (nonhomestead) does not help funding in rural districts. “The funding has shifted, and there are winners and losers all over the state,” said Olson, who called the No Child Left Behind Act an “unfunded mandate”. “We need to give the districts back more control. That commitment in the past made our state one of the top and [the current situation] is not good for the long term health of the state.” Monday’s itinerary included stops in Pine River, Pequot Lakes, East Gull Lake and Pillager. Tuesday’s session included Longville, Walker, Laporte, Akeley, Nevis and Hackensack. On Wednesday Olson’s listening sessions covered Crosslake, Emily, Remer, Deer River and Cass Lake. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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