PHOTOS: Bemidji Day at the State Capitol

By: News Director Larissa Donovan

ST. PAUL– About 50 Bemidjians descended onto the State Capitol on Thursday, March 28, for the annual “Bemidji Day at the State Capitol,” where local lobbyists expressed the needs of the community to the state’s governing bodies.

Among the issues discussed were more funding for the Minnesota State system, of which Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College are part; an increase in reimbursement funding for the Indian Child Welfare Act; an increase to Local Government Aid; and a fix to the state’s transportation funding formula, which has left the Bemidji School District to draw funds to pay for transportation every year to the tune of about $500,000.

The Bemidji group at the after-party
Visit Bemidji’s Rebecca Cue and City Councilman Michael Meehlhause address a legislator
Visit Bemidji’s Rebecca Cue addresses a legislator
City Manager Nate Mathews, Mayor Rita Albrecht and DFL-5A Representative John Persell discuss Bemidji issues.
Dr. Faith Hensrud prepares to meet with legislators to discuss Minnesota State funding. She is the president of BSU and Northwest Technical College.
District 5 Senator Justin Eichorn addresses the Bemidji lobbying group.
District 2 Senator Paul Utke addresses Bemidji group.
District 2A Republican representative Matt Grossell addresses the Bemidji group.
DFL Representative John Persell of District 5A addresses the group before they begin their meetings with state legislators.
The group on the Capitol steps
About

Larissa Donovan was the News Director for the stations of Paul Bunyan Broadcasting and has been, almost without interruption, since Election Day 2016, through July 2023. She covered all the beats in north-central Minnesota, such as local government, crime, education, environment and social issues. She studied communications at Bemidji State University. You can follow along with Larissa's live tweets of meetings and events on Twitter!

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