Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to lead Minn. delegation on trip to Germany

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said Friday that she will lead a delegation of state officials on a July trip to Germany to learn more about the European nation's efforts to promote sustainability in the energy and agricultural sectors.

"They're doing really good work, and we want to learn as much as possible and then figure out moving forward in upcoming sessions what kind of policies can we pass and then what can we do at a state agency level to make the state of Minnesota more sustainable," Flanagan said.

She announced the trip during an appearance to promote a program that provides free meals to Minnesota children who rely on school lunch programs during the academic year.

Agency officials and legislators will join Flanagan on the 11-day trip, scheduled to begin July 12. Additional details were not available Friday.

Flanagan, a former DFL legislator, was elected alongside Gov. Tim Walz in November. Both have pledged to make climate and sustainability policy a priority.

Flanagan's travel plans mark the first official international trip by an elected member of the Walz administration. Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen took part in a four-day mission to Colombia and Peru in early June.

Torey Van Oot • 651-925-5049