Neighbors,
When we come back from Easter/Passover break, the legislature will discuss and vote on the House committees’ budgets. I’m proud that many of the bills that Minnesota’s Asian Pacific (MAP) Caucus fought for - to provide culturally competent health care, language access, and heritage programs - have made it into the budgets. Here’s an overview.
Nyob zoo sawv,
Tam sim no peb tab tom pib sib tham thiab xaiv tsa rau hauv cov cai faib nyiaj. Kuv zoo siab qhia rau nej tias muaj ntau ntau cov cai uas peb tau txhawb hauv lub Minnesota Asian Pacific (MAP) Caucus. Cov cai no muab kev pab kev cai noj qab haus huv, kev txhais tau lus, thiab kev kawm keeb kwm.
Higher Education
The House Higher Education Committee introduced a budget that puts students first. The budget aims to make college more affordable, reduce debt, and improve health and safety on campus. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are 775,000 Minnesotans with student debt totaling $27.1 billion.
- The budget freezes tuition for Minnesota students at all of the state’s two- and four-year public colleges and universities. Many full-time students will receive on average of more than $400 per year more in financial assistance, and 1,900 more Minnesotans will become eligible for aid.
- To help keep students safe and healthy, we’re are prioritizing access to mental health services and legal advocacy support for sexual assault survivors.
- The budget creates hunger-free campuses with the aim of ending food insecurity among students.
Kev Kawm Qib Siab
Peb tau sau tsab cai faib nyiaj uas tso cov tub ntxhais kawm ua ntej. Tsab cai sau kom tsev kawm ntawv qib siab pheej yig dua, txo nqi qub, thiab kho kom muaj kev nyab xeeb hauv tsev kawm ntawv. Raws li Asmeskas Lub Tsev Saib Xyuas Kev Kawm Ntawv, muaj 775,000 tus tub ntxhais nyob Minnesota uas muaj nqi qub kawm ntawv txog li $ 27.1 billion.
• Tsab cai no yuav nres thiab tsis pub nce cov nyiaj them txhua xyoo rau cov tsev kawm ntawv qib siab ob thiab plaub xyoos uas yog public. Muaj coob tus menyuam kawm ntawv qib siab yuav muaj pab thiab tau txais ntau tshaj $400 ib xyoo ntxiv rau kev pab nyiaj txiag, thiab 1,900 tus neeg ntxiv yuav tau txais kev pab.
• Peb tau xub saib xyuas cov kev nrhiav ncaj ncees thiab kev txhawb txog tub ntxhais kawm qib siab uas raug kev quab yuam los sis tsimtxom. Yuav tsum pab kom cov menyuam kawm ntawv qib siab muaj kev nyab xeeb thiab noj qab nyob zoo.
• Cov nyiaj pab kom tsev kawm ntawv tsis muaj kev tshaib plab.
Public Works
The House Capital Investment committee approved the DFL’s package of public works projects last week. This budget reflects the values of Minnesotans across the state, making significant investments in every corner of Minnesota.
These investments cover a wide range of issues that include ensuring children can get to school safely; fixing incomplete road connections; honoring Minnesota veterans; ensuring access to clean water; caring for our natural resources; maintaining our colleges and universities; preserving state assets; and delivering local economies the support they need to thrive.
Nyiaj Kho Kev, Dej, thiab Khoom Siv
Cov nyiaj no qhia txog cov hawjlwm uas tseem ceeb rau neeg ib yam li koj uas nyob hauv Minnesota. Cov nyiaj no yuav faib rau ntau yam teeb meem xws li pab kom cov menyuam muaj peev xwm mus tau rau tsev kawm ntawv kom nyab xeeb; kho cov txoj kev uas tsis tau tiav; hwm peb cov Minnesota tub rog qub; ua kom txhua leej txhua tus tau dej huv; khaws peb cov khoom siv kom zoo; tswj peb cov tsev kawm ntawv qib siab; khaws cia tsoomfwv cov khoom muaj nqi; thiab xa nyiaj txiag rau hauv zos kom muaj kev txhawb nqa kom lawv muaj kev vam meej.
Health and Human Services Budget
The Health and Human Services Committee announced a proposal to lower the cost of health care, address the rising costs of prescription drug prices, increase the quality of coverage, and give patients and their doctors more power over their care.
· Minnesota’s wide health disparities are targeted through Rep. Samantha Vang’s bill to provide culturally competent mental health providers, and measures to increase funding for the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) for the first time in 33 years
· The bill preserves the funding stream for the Health Care Access Fund, which enables innovations in health care and provides access to health care for Minnesotans with low and medium incomes
· The bill also contains improvements to eldercare, addressing abuse, assault, neglect and other maltreatment in Minnesota’s assisted living facilities and nursing homes
Kev Noj Qab Haus Huv thiab Kev Pab Tib Neeg
Peb sau tsab cai kom txo tus nqi ntawm kev kho mob, cov nqi tshuaj, ntxiv cov kev pab them nqi kho mob, thiab muab cov neeg mob thiab lawv cov kws kho mob txoj kev tu mob ntau dua qhov qub.
• Minnesota cov kev noj qab haus huv tsis sib npaug, vim li ntawd Rep. Samantha Vang sau kom txoj cai muaj cov neeg lwm haiv neeg pab tau neeg uas tsis yog Asmeskas thiab sau kom nce nyiaj rau Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) thawj zaug rau 33 xyoo.
• Tsab cai no khaws cov nyiaj txiag rau Kev Pab Kho Mob Nkeeg, uas pab cov neeg hauv Minnesota uas muaj nyiaj tsawg nrhiav kev kho mob thiab muab kev pab kho mob.
• Ntxiv mus tsab cai no kho kom zoo dua rau cov neeg laus, ua phem rau lwm tus, tsis saib xyuas thiab lwm yam kev phem hauv Minnesota cov tsev laus.
Inclusion
The Legacy committee put together a budget that supports the arts, arts education, and arts access to preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage.
The bill supports Hmong cultural events and programming grants, including funding for the Hmong museum in St. Paul. The money would go towards Hmong heritage programs to provide classes, exhibits, presentations, and outreach about Hmong history and cultural heritage. The Minnesota Asian Pacific Caucus has been building support and awareness around our underrepresented and misunderstood community. The Hmong Museum is the first and only Hmong museum in the nation. Its mission is to recognize and document the arts, history, personal and family histories, and current issues facing Hmong people in Minnesota.
The Legacy bill also includes Somali community and museum cultural grants, and grants to preserve Dakota & Ojibwe languages and increase Native educational and immersion efforts. The legacy bill takes important steps to uplifting and preserving Minnesota’s diverse communities.
Language barriers can prevent students from participating in and advocating for their own education. With growing new immigrant communities across Minnesota, it’s important for us to ensure all Minnesotans receive the resources they need for an education that prepares them for post-secondary pursuits and gainful employment. Rep. Kaohly Her’s bill to increase funding for English language learners (ELL) will do that, and it has been included in the education budget[DOUBLE CHECK].
Kev Suav Txhua Tus
Lub koom haum Legacy tau sau tsab cai faib nyiaj los txhawb kev kos duab, kev kawm ntawv qhia txuj ci kos duab thiab lwm yam, thiab kev kos duab los ntawm Minnesota cov keeb kwm thiab muab khaws cia.
Tsab cai no pab txhawb Hmoob keeb kwm kev cai thiab kev pab nyiaj txiag, thiab nrog rau nyiaj txiag rau lub Hmong Museum nyob hauv St. Paul. Cov nyiaj yuav mus rau ntawm cov program qhia Hmoob keeb kwm, tau muab los qhia hauv cov chav kawm, khoom puav pheej, thiab kev qhia txog keeb kwm Hmoob. Peb cov Minnesota Asian Pacific Caucus tau nrhiav kev tshawb haiv neeg uas tsev kawm ntawv tsis qhia txog lawm cov keeb kwm. Peb lub Hmoob Museum los sis lub tsev khaws puav pheej hauv St. Paul yog thawj lub ntawm peb Hmoob nyob hauv tebchaws Asmeskas no. Lub hom phiaj yog kom pom thiab sau cov duab, keeb kwm, keeb kwm ntawm tus kheej thiab tsev neeg, thiab teeb meem tam sim no uas cov neeg Hmoob nyob hauv Minnesota muaj.
Ntxiv mus txoj cai no muaj nyaij rau cov neeg tuaj ntawm Somalia tuaj thiab muaj nyiaj pab khaws cia cov lus Dakota & Ojibwe thiab ntxiv rau cov kev kawm txog cov neeg Native American. Txoj cai legacy yuav siv cov kauj ruam tseem ceeb rau kev txhawb nqa thiab muab keeb kwm khaws cia rau tag nrho Minnesota cov neeg.
Kev kawm ntawv yog ib yam nyuaj rau cov tub ntxhais uas tseem kawm lus Askiv. Nrog cov neeg zej zog uas tuaj tshiab rau hauv Minnesota, nws tseem ceeb heev rau peb kom txhua tus neeg hauv Minnesota tau txais cov kev pab uas lawv xav tau rau txoj kev kawm uas npaj lawv rau txais haujlwm los sis kawm ntawv qib siab. Rep. Kaohly Her tau sau kom cov nyiaj nce ntxiv pab rau cov tub ntxhais kawm lus Askiv (ELL).
Thanks for keeping in touch! If you ever have a question, you can reach me at rep.michael.nelson@house.mn or 651-296-3751.
Sincerely,
Rep. Michael Nelson
Ua tsaug rau koj txoj kev xav paub txog hawjlwm hauv Minnesota lub Tsev Dawb! Yog tias koj muaj lus nug, hu kuv ntawm 651-269-3751 los yog email rau rep.michael.nelson@house.mn.
Ua Tsaug,
Rep. Michael Nelson