 Dear Neighbors, Legislators will gavel in for the 2022 legislative session on Monday, January 31 and in the House, we’re working judiciously to lay the groundwork for a successful session. You’ll find details below about various proposals that my House colleagues and I are rolling out to keep Minnesota moving forward. A big thank you to everyone who participated in Wednesday’s community conversation on Zoom. It was great to see so many faces and hear directly from our neighbors on the issues most important to them. A reminder to join me for our final community conversations coming up on February 9, February 22, and March 9. Please RSVP with my Legislative Assistant Eric Petersen at eric.petersen@house.mn. Hope to see you there!  On Tuesday, I attended local retired K-12 teacher group virtually to talk about education and retiree issues that we can expect to see during in the legislative Session. I appreciate their years of service to our students, their expertise on education issues and their input!  This week on Thursday, I toured the Local 49 Training Center in Hinckley. It was great to hear the work they are doing to build interest in the trades, the robust training program they have, as well as the challenges they are facing. Bonus, I got to operate an excavator in their indoor training “sandbox”. Side note, it is much harder than it looks.   Thursday, I was also surprised with a presentation of the “Bronze Axe” award from the Association of Minnesota Professional Firefighters for my work on the Hometown Heroes Act that was passed into law last session. It was truly an honor to work with firefighters across the state to provide funding for the Minnesota Firefighters' Initiative. Our firefighters face a greater risk of cardiac episodes, trauma, and cancer diagnosis doing the job we have asked of them. It was the stories that they shared that pushed this bill across the finish line. So happy that we were able to provide funding to help with those who do so much for our communities.  Applications for Rental Assistance Due TODAY RentHelpMN applications must be submitted by today, Friday, January 28 at 9:00 p.m. to be considered. If you or anyone you know is behind on rent, help is available to get caught up and be protected from eviction. Visit http://RentHelpMN.org to apply.  2022 Education Plan All Minnesotans deserve to have access to affordable childcare and early learning, a high-quality K-12 education, and the opportunity to pursue post-secondary education. On Tuesday, House DFLers released a plan to ensure every student has the tools and support they need to thrive, now and in the future. As a member of the K-12 Education Finance Committee and a paraprofessional, I’m glad the plan invests in our youngest Minnesotans. Since the first years of a child’s life set the foundation for their future, investing in childcare and early learning would have a positive impact on thousands of kids for the rest of their lives. When families have access to childcare and early learning, parents can work, employers can grow, and communities can thrive. House DFLers will also work to expand mental health resources for students, increase funding for special education and English language learner programs, recruit and retain teachers of color and Indigenous teachers, and lower the cost of college. More information about our education plan is available here. I’m pleased to report that Governor Walz’s education plan, which he announced on Tuesday, includes some of the same measures. It expands access to childcare and early learning, for example, and prioritizes students’ mental and social-emotional wellbeing. It also includes Paid Family & Medical Leave and Earned Sick & Safe Time, important policies House DFLers included in our economic security plan.   Paraprofessional WeekThe Governor proclaimed this week as Paraprofessional Week. I have seen firsthand the positive impact these school workers have on our kiddos in the classroom, and I appreciate all that they do.  2022 Public Safety Plan We also released a public safety plan this week. It invests $100 million in proven strategies to prevent crime, strengthen investigations, and keep Minnesotans safe. I know many people are concerned about rising crime rates across the country and our state, and we are working with law enforcement and local governments to find effective solutions. The plan contains: - $40 million for Innovation in Community Safety grants to support nonprofit organizations working to address crime. These grants could be used for juvenile diversion efforts, community violence interruption, restorative justice programs, community-based mental health and social service centers, victim services, and more.
- $22 million for Local Community Policing grants, which enable more officers to build relationships with neighbors in areas with disproportionately elevated levels of crime. The funds could be used to support partnerships with community groups for crisis response and expand co-responder teams as well.
- $22 million for Crime Investigation grants that will help deliver justice in an expeditious manner. These grants could be used to hire and train investigators, purchase evidence processing technology, and more.
You can find more details here.   Keep in TouchPlease continue to reach out anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn or 651-296-9889. Email is the quickest way to reach me as remote operations continue. Enjoy the weekend. Be well,  Cheryl Youakim
State Representative |