 Dear Neighbors, Happy Friday. It’s been another busy week at the Minnesota House as we wrap up budget bills, getting us one step closer to finalizing the House’s version of a state budget. Bills are advancing to the House Ways and Means Committee; the final stop ahead of the Floor votes. As Co-Chair Kresha and I continue to negotiate on what the final Education Finance budget will include, I’m reminded of how impactful our work really is on Minnesota students and families. It’s truly an honor to serve with you and for our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors. Committee Work As I mentioned above, committees have wrapped up their respective committees’ bills and DFL and GOP co-chairs are working closely with each other and senate counterparts. With a slim one-seat DFL majority in the Senate, all of the bills we bring forward must have bipartisan support and cooperation. Having previously worked under the nation’s only divided state legislature, I’m confident in our ability to get the job done for Minnesotans. At the same time, we will not sacrifice the progress we made over the last two years for our K-12 schools, as well as our youngest learners. We must protect Minnesotans' access to health care, affordable housing, and do our best to make sure our economy works for everyone and not just a few. We also have to keep an eye on the future budget and prepare for what may happen at the national level. 
What to Expect in the Last month of Session
We’ve continued to pass bipartisan bills off the House Floor and the week after our short break, we will continue to see individual bills as well as larger committee policy bills pass off of the House Floor and head to conference committee. Final committee budget bills will move to the Ways and Means Committee on their way to the House Floor for a vote. When we have an agreement on our Education Finance bill, we will also need to make a stop in the Taxes Committee. Conference committees will then meet to match up and reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of budget bills. Once the bills are reconciled, they go back to their respective floors for a vote and then head to the Governor’s desk. All of this work needs to happen before May 19. I serve on the House Taxes Committee, as well as the Ways and Means Committee, so it is going to be a very busy 30 days.
Constituent Visits
Since I spent the week in negotiations on the House Education finance bill between committee hearings and the House Floor, I did not have any constituent meetings scheduled. I did have the chance to speak to a wonderful group of Adult Basic Educators and their students at Literacy Day on the Hill. It was my first time speaking in the Capitol Rotunda and, of course, I forgot to take any pictures. It is always fun to run into St. Louis Park colleagues when they come up to testify on bills at the Capitol! Sud Budd, representing the advocacy group Isaiah, spoke on a bill in the Taxes Committee that would increase revenue to make up for cuts to Medicaid that are expected to come from the federal level.  Greg Hunt, the Economic Development Director from the City of St. Louis Park, spoke in support of a bill that extends an expiring provision in Tax Increment Financing (TIF). 
Small Business Tariff Impact Survey & Dashboard
Amid the ever changing executive decisions related to enacting additional federal tariffs this week, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is gathering information from affected small businesses in Minnesota. In this period of uncertainty, there may be a lag in data, so this survey is a way for our communities’ business owners to communicate directly with the department now. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete. By collaborating with Minnesota's locally owned small businesses, which face significant challenges, we can proactively plan for the state's future needs. On Wednesday this week, Governor Walz announced a new dashboard Minnesotans can use to track disruptions and cancellations of federal funding and their impact on services available to Minnesotans. Federal disruptions and cuts so far include grants to track measles and avian influenza, provide heating assistance, and mitigate flooding.  At the time of launch, Minnesota state agencies are tracking over $296 million in cancelled funds, with another $55 million at risk. Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or at 651-296-9889 with questions, input, or to let me know how I can help. It’s an honor to represent you and your family at the State Capitol. Have a great weekend and enjoy the beautiful weather!  Cheryl Youakim
State Representative |